


A Web of Love, Lies, and Lyrics

by xxaeris



Category: New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: ;), Alternate Universe - Creatures & Monsters, F/F, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fluff, Giant Spiders, Human/Monster Romance, Were-Creatures, also note kiibo/shuichi and tenko/himiko are later plans, and secondary in this fic, at first anyway, finding out what tags to apply is fun, how did it end up like this, i'll say now kirumi is not the only non-human student in her class in this fic, it was only a oneshot, so idk how far she counts as a monster, the drider/arachne version of a werewolf, this was supposed to be a oneshot, well kirumi's like
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-06
Updated: 2021-02-07
Packaged: 2021-02-28 23:47:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 20,254
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23035762
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xxaeris/pseuds/xxaeris
Summary: In order to hide a huge secret of Kirumi's, Kaede blurts out the first lie that comes to mind. But was it really a lie? And is Kirumi the only one harbouring secrets regarding who she is?
Relationships: Akamatsu Kaede/Tojo Kirumi, Chabashira Tenko/Yumeno Himiko, K1-B0/Saihara Shuichi
Comments: 25
Kudos: 93





	1. the first one

**Author's Note:**

> okay this was meant to be a oneshot but it wound up becoming a longer fic idea, while I'm still working on 72 hours, trying to work on my YouTube channel, AND i have university. free time? what's that?  
> either way i had this idea kicking around for a bit and decided "eh let's finally write another explicit ship fic" even though i've had the WIP for the tenmiko fic I orphaned kicking around on my google drive for quite literal years, clearly i'm great at managing shit

Slightly shivering from both the cold and the apprehension of what she’d heard from her dorm window, Kaede made her way through the woods near the academy. The webs caught the glimmering full moon light on tiny delicate dewdrops, swaying gently in the cool breeze.

But what kind of spider could spin web strands the width of Kaede’s finger?

Hesitantly, Kaede slid her finger along them out of curiosity – and found her glove was stuck immediately to the strand she touched, like it was made out of glue. She stepped back, trying to pry it off – her mind not really thinking too hard on it as she braced her other gloved hand against the web.

The web her first glove was stuck to.

Eventually, Kaede sighed – her breath coming out in a vapor – and she resigned, leaving her gloves on the web like a pair of strange-looking lilac flowers. She wasn’t gonna try pulling them off and risk getting her actual skin stuck to the web.

As the air wormed cold tendrils into her hands, making them feel like ice even while curled up over one another, Kaede’s thoughts once again wandered, from ‘how am I gonna get my gloves back’ back to ‘what the hell could leave webs this big lying around’. Spiders were known for spinning webs, but she was pretty sure that there weren’t any spiders near Hope’s Peak, and even if they were, if they were large enough to leave strands like this attached to the trees, the staff – or students – would’ve probably noticed. Gonta, at least, _definitely_ would have noticed.

Yet, despite walking for ten minutes, occasionally glancing back to see where she’d been and how far the academy was from her, Kaede still didn’t have a single clue. Maybe if she bust down Shuichi’s door and made him come with her, she’d have found one by now – actually, if Shuichi was here, maybe she wouldn’t have had the brilliant ideas that got her gloves stuck to the goddamn web.

A particularly cold breeze caused Kaede to shiver visibly, and she shook her head. She wondered if it was even worth it, to see what might be causing these webs throughout the forest and the sounds she heard from her open window. It seemed like it might be impossible to-

“ _What are you doing here?_ ”

A haunting voice, like the oak trees given an elegant and mournful song, broke through what had been just breeze and tree rustling, and Kaede’s head whipped around for its source.

“ _Why have you come?_ ”

Kaede finally managed to figure out where the voice was coming from – and looking up, she managed to make out a shape in the trees. It certainly solved the mystery of ‘what’s making those noises and webs’, with ‘that’, but her next question was ‘what exactly is that’.

The large form of a severely oversized spider clung to several of the branches for support with eight spindly legs, each adorned with an graceful silver pattern that swirled up the leg and glimmered slightly in the moonlight. But rather than the head of a spider, Kaede saw an upper torso that resembled a human’s; toned, with defined muscle, wrapped in simple but elegant black ribbons and bandages. Pale arms clung to higher branches, but clearly it was only for stability; there was no weight held on their grip. But the face was the largest contradiction; though somewhat human in the shape of the nose, jaw, lips, and skull, the teeth were some of the longest and sharpest that she’d ever seen. The eyes – six peered down at Kaede, studying her with – was that mild horror? Potentially, the same horror that she felt? And there was also that curl of ash blonde hair, covering up to three of them…

“ _What do you wish of me?_ ”

Kaede couldn’t help but seize up on the spot; her ‘fight, flight, freeze’ response telling her to do the latter. She couldn’t even respond to the questions asked of her.

“ _…You need to go._ ”

Kaede kept staring with wide eyes, desperately trying to force herself to move again. She knew she needed to; she felt like it would only make the situation worse if she didn’t move soon.

She took a deep breath, and managed to move her foot backwards. And another. And thankfully, managed to stubbornly will herself to back away, before turning and running back to the academy.

* * *

The ragtime piano tune alarm clock Kaede had elected to use at some earlier date in the past few months blasted through her dorm room, and more irritable than usual after last night’s interruption (at least, irritable towards the alarm clock), Kaede just barely avoided knocking it across the room, instead turning it off and pressing herself to a sitting position.

“Ragtime alarm clock… great choice, Kaede. Well, I guess it gets me up in the morning,” she said, standing up and haphazardly throwing on her uniform. As she did, memories of the previous night crept their way back to her mind.

What exactly had she seen in the woods last night? And why did it feel so familiar, even while being completely fantastical - something straight out of even Himiko’s wildest dreams? She couldn’t really place her finger on it; or why her blazer buttons didn’t seem to do up quite right.

Kaede sighed. Whatever she’d seen in the woods, they told her to leave – presumably to try and forget she ever saw them. And yet, _somehow_ , a giant spider with an almost human upper torso wasn’t exactly an easy thing to forget.

The thoughts followed Kaede through breakfast and to homeroom – though she couldn’t help but notice Kokichi had gathered a small crowd of her classmates with his talking.

“A giant spider in the woods near the academy? That’s just absurd! Giant spiders don’t exist,” Kokichi began, “… is what I would say if the woods near the academy weren’t covered in spiderwebs as thick as my toes.”

“You expect us to believe some nonsense about a giant spider? You planted those webs yourself, and they’re probably some cheap Halloween stuff you bulk-bought off-season,” Maki replied, as Kaito stood behind her – looking increasingly desperate to leave the conversation, Kaede noted. She opened her mouth to offer him that exit, only for Kokichi to point at her.

“Heeey, Kayayday! You saw the spider webs too, didn’t ya?” Kokichi grinned.

Kaede smiled back politely. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I just got here,”

“We’re talking about giant spiders in the woods! God, Kaede, stop being so inattentive!” Kokichi said.

“Oh. Well, I haven’t seen any spider webs,” Kaede said.

“See? Even Kaede knows you’re full of it,” Maki said.

“Huh. Then who was wearing your gloves and got them stuck to those spiderwebs?”

“My… gloves?” Kaede tried to keep a poker face, but she figured if Kokichi already found her gloves in the spiderweb…

“Ooh, maybe Shuichi left your gloves there! Maybe he took them because they smelled like you!” Kokichi’s eyes shone with mischief – and the recognition of Kaede’s lie.

“No! Shuichi hasn’t even been in my room!” Kaede protested. “Maybe you planted my gloves there, since you’re apparently the only one who knows about them.”

The smile on Kokichi’s face was wiped off in an instant, and he just stared blankly at Kaede. “… Wow. I’ve heard a lot of lies in my life, and I think that was the worst one I’ve ever heard. Well done, Kaede.”

Kokichi didn’t even wait for Kaede’s response, simply walking past everyone and sitting down in the classroom.

Maki shook her head, before heading into the classroom as well. As she passed Kaede, she heard the other girl whisper,

“Your buttons are on wrong.”

Kaede looked down at her blazer and felt her face flush, quickly adjusting her buttons with a nervous smile as she headed in and sat at her desk.

Kaede’s mind wandered further after class and during lunch, as she picked absentmindedly at her bento and stared up at the ceiling. She usually sat with the rest of her class, happy in her role as a social butterfly – but whatever encounter had happened last night threw her way off her tune, and she felt like she wouldn’t be able to throw anywhere near her all into it.

Tune… tune. Piano tune. Maybe playing piano in the auditorium would help clear her mind? She decided it was at least worth a shot. She closed her food and shoved it back in her bag, heading out of the cafeteria early and heading upstairs.

“Uggh… It’s literally _so_ easy to play. Why can’t I do it.”

The sheet music for Beethoven’s _Moonlight Sonata_ sat on the music stand, and Kaede hadn’t even been satisfied enough with her performance to pass the first movement. In fact, she was so dissatisfied that she’d closed the piano lid and laid her head on top of it, staring blankly at the crimson curtains that stood several times her height.

“Am I really so out of it that I can’t even play piano? How is that even possible…? I’m the _Ultimate Pianist,_ for god’s sake.”

A knock came from the door in the auditorium; a quiet knock, but Kaede would’ve likely picked it up even if she were playing, thanks to her sensitive ears.

“Come in?” Kaede called out, hoping her voice carried to the entrance.

“I apologize if I am interrupting you,” came the response from Kirumi, who made her way down the aisle with something in her hands.

“No, you’re not. Don’t worry!” Kaede smiled brightly, standing up. “What’s up?”

“I believe I found something of yours,” Kirumi said, holding out something lilac; on closer inspection, Kaede realised they were her gloves.

“Oh – thank you!” Kaede said, heading off the stage and meeting Kirumi in the aisle. “But how’d you find them?”

“Kokichi told me that you’d lost them out in the forest – attached to giant spiderwebs, of all things.” Kirumi folded her hands together.

“Oh – makes sen-“ Kaede began, but stopped herself. It made sense on the surface, but she was sure even _Kirumi_ couldn’t perform that thorough of a search so quickly _and_ stay on top of her attendance and extracurricular tasks. “The woods aren’t exactly small,”

Kaede heard the swallowing of saliva as Kirumi paused. “… Well, I am a maid, after all. Besides, it isn’t like giant spiderwebs are easy to miss.”

“But there were hundreds of them when I went out there last night…” Kaede trailed off, looking over the gloves. There was maybe a tiny, tiny amount of sticky residue in the seams, but otherwise they seemed clean. “… And how’d you pull them off the web and clean them so fast, anyway? I tried pulling one off and got the other stuck; wouldn’t you have gotten stuck too?”

Kirumi just smiled. “You certainly have a lot of questions, Kaede.”

“Well, yeah. Last night was so weird it’s been throwing me off all day.”

“I’d imagine what you saw was quite disturbing.”

Kaede frowned. “… I just said weird. I didn’t say disturbing.”

Kirumi took a sharp breath in, before looking between Kaede and behind her – at the exit. She held it for a few moments, before sighing. “May I lock the door?”

Kaede nodded with a nervous smile, and Kirumi slid the lock into place, meeting Kaede halfway down the aisle. Gently, Kirumi placed her hands on Kaede’s shoulders.

“What I’m about to say can’t leave this room or be told to anyone else. I imagine Kokichi may eventually find out – if he hasn’t already, but I ask that you keep quiet as long as possible. It’s something that may jeopardize my life and work if it becomes public knowledge. Can you promise me that?”

“Sure…?” Kaede knew she sounded hesitant, even if it wasn’t her intention.

“I apologize for being blunt, but I need yes or no, Kaede. Can you keep this secret?”

“Yes. I’ll keep it secret.”

“I knew where to find them because I’d watched you get them stuck.”

“Watched me get them stuck?” Kaede asked. “What do-“

It clicked at that moment; while few other features were exactly identifiable, the ash-blonde hair the creature possessed matched Kirumi’s hair perfectly.

“Wait- is there some monster twin of yours that I don’t know about?” Kaede asked – it had clicked, but she figured she’d be sure.

“If only. Unfortunately, not the case.”

Kaede frowned slightly, grabbing ahold of Kirumi’s hand. “… I figured. I don’t know how I didn’t realise at the time.”

“I don’t think it’d be easy to recognize a classmate in such a bestial state.”

Despite her calm voice, Kaede still felt trembling in Kirumi’s hands within her own, and she gently stroked her thumb across the top within the ring attached to her glove.

“Well, yeah. Um… I do have some questions, though.”

“How could someone who is so perfect hide such a hideous secret, I presume.”

Kaede blinked. “… Not… even remotely how I would’ve phrased it. I assume that’s ‘how did this happen’?”

“I am not sure how it happened; it hasn’t always been like this. I’m fortunate that it only happens every full moon, but… it happens _every_ full moon.”

“I had no idea… I’m sorry.” Still holding onto Kirumi’s hand, Kaede started leading her back down the aisle.

“I thought I had done my best to make sure nobody had any idea.” Kirumi hesitantly followed Kaede’s footsteps back towards the piano.

“Does this usually happen near the academy?” Kaede asked.

“No, I’m not that careless. This time was different; I’d been kept back after class to help Himiko and Gonta with some of their studies,”

Kaede sighed. “Geez, you worry about us too much… I think something that could throw your life into chaos if the wrong person found out is a little more important than a specific day of tutoring!”

“Perhaps, but there is a test next week, and I’ve already pledged to-“

“That! That, right there, is your best and worst quality!” Kaede pointed at Kirumi with her free hand. “Look, I know you want to help us, and that’s one of the things we all love about you. But it’s because of that, that we’re even having this conversation right now!”

“My values of selfless devotion do come first, Kaede.”

“You said so yourself this’d ruin your life if it got out to everyone else!”

There was a rattling at the door, before the lock suddenly opened.

“Heyoo! Whatcha arguing about?” Kokichi stood on the other side of the door with a lockpick in his hand, with Shuichi and Rantaro behind him.

Kaede bit her lip, before swinging her hand with Kirumi’s in it, blurting out the first thing that came to mind. “Damnit, you weren’t supposed to know about our secret love!”

“Our-“ Kirumi began, before Kaede gently stood on her toe – the universal symbol of ‘play along’. “… This is definitely quite troubling for my reputation, to be caught in a lover’s quarrel…”

“Ooh! Mom fell in love with Kaede! That’s so interesting!” Kokichi exclaimed, which won him a harsh glare from Kirumi. “If we’re airing our crushes and lovers out, then let me say it! I have a crush on Himiko!”

“I thought you were gay?” Rantaro said.

“That was a lie.”

“That’s a bit surprising.”

“No, you plastic lawn chair! I lied about having a crush on Himiko! The only one of us silly enough for that is Tenko. Maybe Angie. She’s notoriously easy to read, after all.”

“Even so,” Shuichi intercut, “Do you need any help talking through your troubles?”

“Nope! We’re fine, we can deal with it ourselves,” Kaede said, just a little too quickly.

“Aww, I was hoping to get into some juicy relationship drama…” Kokichi groaned.

“It’s a relationship that has nothing to do with you. I must respectfully request you leave. Kaede and I can deal with this like adults.” Kirumi said, gently nudging Kaede’s hand forward.

“You suuure? I’m not even sure you’re really dating!” Kokichi said with a smile – one which Kaede picked up the meaning of immediately. If she didn’t think quickly, Kokichi was going to push – and might wind up discovering the truth. She turned to Kirumi.

“Forgive me for this,” she whispered.

“Fo-“

Kirumi barely got a syllable in before Kaede stood on her toes to reach Kirumi’s face, planting a kiss on her lips.

“You know, a kiss doesn’t really-“

“Kokichi, I really think we should go,” Shuichi said. “… They’ve proven pretty thoroughly that it’s personal relationship troubles they’re going through.”

“We’re sorry for breaking in, we wanted to be sure you were okay,” Rantaro said.

“We’re fine. Don’t worry. And don’t tell the rest of the school about this!”

“Aw, no fair! I wanted to stick around…” Kokichi sighed. “Well, guess I’ll just spread the rumour ‘round the school in revenge.”

“I really do not advise that you do that, Kokichi,” Kirumi said, as Kokichi and the boys exited the room.

Kirumi followed them to the end of the aisle, before locking the door and returning to the piano.

“… Maybe we should keep it down this time. I don’t exactly want Gonta to hear us and break the door off its-“

“Kaede, I want to know exactly what on earth you were thinking back there.” Kirumi stared at Kaede with eyes that felt like they could cut her into pieces.

Kaede took a deep breath and a gulp. “Um- well, I couldn’t tell them the whole spider thing, and if we took too long to answer, Kokichi would know something’s up – and that was the first thing that popped into my head.”

“While yes, it would be disastrous to tell the truth, this may be just as bad for my reputation. I can’t have others thinking I’ve sacrificed my code for you.”

“How would dating me ruin that code?”

“It’s-“ Kaede spied a flush of colour to Kirumi’s cheeks, but one that faded as fast as it came. “… I suppose you are right, on the surface. But I’m using you and a fake relationship with you to protect myself.”

“I’m the one who blurted it-“ Kaede stopped herself and lowered her voice. “-out, you just sort of got thrust with it.”

“Even so, now we’ve got to keep it up. If Kokichi blabs to the school, we’ll have to be a little more public with it. If he doesn’t, then we have to keep up this ‘secret’.”

“Geez, all this because you needed to tutor Gonta and Himiko…” Kaede folded her arms. “… Though there’s way too much tension in this room.”

“I apologise. I should leave and return to-“

“Hey, Kirumi? Could you stay for a bit? I want to play for someone. That might help alleviate tension in a better way.”

Kirumi looked to the clock above the door for a moment, before wordlessly sitting down on the stairs leading to the stage. Kaede sat back down, and lifted up the cover, placing the sheet music back on the stand.

This time, when Kaede plays _Moonlight Sonata_ , she plays flawlessly.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey gaymers, i hope this chapter entertains you in our worldwide lockdown over COVID-19, remember to wash your hands and tell your friends you love them. not because we're all gonna die but it improves everyone's moods to tell them you love them. and i love you if you leave comments and kudos's on the fic. or even just read it. thank you so much

As Kaede ventured through the hallway to her locker to switch out her books for her final lesson of the day, she kept an ear to the chatter in the hallway.

“Did you hear that Kiibo and Shuichi might be going out?”

“They’ve been going out for three months now…”

“Yeah, so my project is due Friday…”

“Ugh, Professor Yukizome is kicking my ass in Home Ec…”

Kaede let out a small sigh of relief. Seems that Kokichi might have been able to keep it secret – or hadn’t had a chance to blurt it to the entire student body. Kaede silently hoped for the former.

As she closed her locker and headed up the stairs, she took out her phone and scrolled to Kirumi’s number. There hadn’t been much in there despite the two years they’d already spent together, and Kaede’s shoulders sunk slightly as she typed out a message.

_should we meet after classes, or do you have something else scheduled then?_

Kaede had just barely gotten her phone back into her pocket before it beeped with a response.

_I do have something then, but I can make time about 15 minutes after they end. Nekomaru wishes for my help setting up an obstacle course for some of the sports students._

_i thought for sure that you’d be one of the sports students?_

_I am, but as I said, I will inform him that something else came up. What is it you request of me?_

Kaede sighed audibly as she sat down, checking the clock and noting she had about two minutes before class ‘officially’ started – and given it was taught by Professor Kizakura, Kaede imagined she’d have a little more time.

_for the whole ‘secret dating’ thing! if we’re not meeting up regularly, kokichi’s gonna get suspicious!_

_I apologise. If this is your request, I will fulfill it, but I advise you do not make too much of a habit out of this._

_i don’t plan to, don’t worry._

At that moment, Professor Kizakura arrived – actually on time. Kaede slipped her phone into her pocket and did her best to pay attention to the lesson. And yet, oftentimes during the lesson, she couldn’t shake the feeling of being… hunted. It was a gnawing anxiety that Kaede couldn’t pinpoint – and hence, she couldn’t care much for it. But it was still there, and impossible for her to deny.

As the bell rang and class was dismissed, Kaede realised she hadn’t exactly set up a spot for her and Kirumi to have their ‘secret’ fake date. Kaede ran a few spots through her mind, but they either seemed too isolated or too crowded – or just plain weird. Like, what kind of date would they have in a storage room…?

She was sure that Ibuki or Sayaka would probably wind up using the music room in the afternoon for practice, so that was out of the question, too.

Kaede’s phone beeped, and she quickly took it out of her pocket again. Kirumi had sent a message.

_Perhaps we could meet in the study inside of the library?_

_won’t Byakuya be using that? he’s ALWAYS using that_

_Byakuya is currently off-campus on a business trip. It’ll be empty if we say we’re studying in there._

_okay, i’ll be there in a few minutes_

Kaede headed back down the stairs and into the library, doing her best to move discreetly into the study. She half-expected for Kirumi to already be in there with a stack of study books so they could actually use this time for something useful, but she was nowhere to be found.

Kaede sat down on the floor, crossing her legs and pulling sheets of music out of her bag, marked with notes of a song she was writing herself. Quietly, she hummed the tune on the page to herself, making subtle corrections and additions where she felt they were needed. She, in fact, got so lost in her tune, that she didn’t even really notice when the door opened and Kirumi entered the study. Only once the door had closed and Kirumi audibly cleared her throat, did Kaede look up.

“Oh- sorry! Um, I didn’t really bring any work with me,” Kaede said.

“That is quite alright. If it is problems you wish to solve, I have no problem creating some,” Kirumi said, taking a notepad and fountain pen out of her pocket and sitting down next to Kaede.

“Ah- no, that- you don’t have to go that far, Kirumi.” Kaede gently placed her music sheet back in her bag. “I think- just talking might be nice?”

“Talking? About what?”

“Well… um… I’m guessing you-know-what is a no-go.”

“The- well. This is a soundproof room and I suspect you have questions, but I worry Kokichi may try to barge in on us again.”

“If that happens, I’ll just punch him.” Kaede punched the air in front of her, and Kirumi gently pushed her hand into proper alignment.

“I do not recommend punching him as it may land you detention, but if you must, hold it there for the least risk of injury to yourself. If answering your questions is what you request of me, then since you already know of… that, I shall do it.”

“I’ll try to remember that… um, do you know when this began?”

“Vaguely – about the time I turned 14. I’m not sure of the inciting incident, however – it just… started happening.”

“Does anyone else know about this?”

“Those who hold high positions in the staff here know, and usually arrange for extracurricular work that will take me off-campus during the full moon. My parents know, and you know. That is all.”

Kaede paused for a moment before she asked her next question. “… How do you feel about it?”

“I… I despise it. It’s wasted time I cannot use. I mustn’t be seen in that state, and I cannot perform many of my duties even if nobody was watching, just due to how- well, different and ineffective it is for my work.” Kirumi bit her lip.

“Um… do you have a name for it?”

“Aside from monster or giant spider?” Kirumi’s voice had a slightly nervous amusement to it. “… I’ve never thought much about it. And I apologise if this is presumptuous, but I’d appreciate it if you did not try to come up with a name for it.”

“I wasn’t gonna, geez…” Kaede’s tone gave away that she was lying, and Kirumi simply offered an incredulous look. “… Okay, I was. I won’t if it makes you uncomfortable.”

“Do you have any other questions?”

“Um… well, yeah, but they’re hard to exactly put into words.” Kaede scratched her head. “I forgot my class work, but um – could you stay with me and help figure out if this song sounds right?”

Kaede leaned over, going through her backpack and pulling the music she’d been working on back out. “I mean- I kind of want to go to a piano for it, but I think Sayaka or Ibuki might be in the concert hall right now… so in here is fine.”

“If it is what you request, I’ll listen, though I do have others I still need to serve today.”

“Yeah- it’s about five minutes long so far, and I think seven minutes will be how long I make it.” Kaede neatly shuffled the music sheets into a neat stack against the floor, before humming the notes on them, trying to be loud enough for Kirumi to hear.

As she hummed the notes, a slow and peaceful melody with flecks of elegance, Kaede slowly, gradually, and without realizing it, began leaning more and more against Kirumi’s shoulder. Something about how the notes flowed relaxed her, made her feel at ease – almost made her feel sleepy, sort of like a lullaby, and Kirumi’s shoulder was soft and warm, a comforting presence that she could happily play her music for, without judgement or excessive praise.

“Kaede, while I appreciate the song you have written, I would also appreciate it if you didn’t rest your head on me,” Kirumi’s voice cut through at about the four minute mark, snapping Kaede out of her music trance. She quickly realised she’d nestled her head into the space between Kirumi’s head and shoulder. She felt blood rush to her cheeks and she quickly (but carefully) shoved her music sheets back in her bag.

“Oh- sorry! Um, I- um, I’ll let you get to your next duties. Thanks for hanging out with me, Kirumi!” Kaede stood up, smiling widely.

“It is no problem. Though I suspect we will have to meet again over the next few days to keep up the ruse.”

“Yeah… though I suspect we won’t be able to keep it up forever.”

“Indeed. For now, let’s do our best to keep it up.” Kirumi took out a small pocket mirror and a tube of black lipstick.

“What’s that for?” Kaede tilted her head.

“You’ll see in a moment, and I request that you trust me,” Kirumi said. Kaede nodded and watched as Kirumi flawlessly applied the lipstick, only enhancing the classical gothic aesthetic she kept about her, before gently stroking the lipstick across Kaede’s cheek.

“Hey, um, my lips-“

“I know. Wipe it with your sleeve when you’re leaving. It’ll make people suspicious, but I doubt they’ll connect the dots immediately.”

“… Oh! I see. Good thinking!” Kaede said. “So, um, should I leave first, or-“

“If that is what you wish.”

“Right. Um, I’ll see you later, Kirumi!” Kaede waved as she opened the study door, hastily wiping off the black lipstick mark as she passed the students studying in the library.

A fleeting thought went through Kaede’s mind – wondering what it would’ve been like if Kirumi had actually kissed her. A small smile passed onto her face at the thought.

“Sooo, how’d the date with Mom go?”

Kaede had barely taken a step out of the library before she nearly crashed into Kokichi, with him taking a playful step to the side just before the fact.

“The d- yeah! It um. It went- wait, why are you asking?” Kaede asked.

“Can’t I take interest in my classmates and their lives here?! I just think you and Mom are gonna be great for each other!” Kokichi’s eyes shone with delight – and just that hint that Kokichi wasn’t buying what Kaede was saying. “So, how’d it go?”

“Um… great! Thank you?” Kaede wiped a bit more at her cheek, wondering if all the residue from the lipstick was off.

“Aww, Mom even gave you a kiss! That’s so cute!” Kokichi’s smile faded immediately. “… is what I would say, if she actually kissed you.”

“Hey, she-“

“Kaede. I know she didn’t kiss you.”

Kaede frowned. “… And how would you know that? You weren’t in there with us.”

Kokichi grabbed her sleeve. “I’ll show you my little trick this one time. Kirumi doesn’t have only one lip, but your sleeve only has one thin smear.”

Kaede looked down at her sleeve – she didn’t see what Kokichi was talking about, though. She pouted. “Geez, just because she didn’t kiss me doesn’t mean anything. She’ll- she’ll definitely kiss me next time!”

Kokichi grinned, resting his hands behind his head. “Looks like I got it wrong. Kirumi didn’t fall in love with you, you fell in love with her.”

“Hey, I-“ Kaede barely stopped herself from admitting the ruse. “-we both fell for each other! That’s how love works!”

“That’s how partnership works. If it were how love worked, I’d be dating Shuichi, not that robot.”

“Geez, you sound salty.”

“A bit. Like, Shuichi can love whoever he wants, but a robot? Like, Kaito’s a himbo, but I’d understand that. God… Shuichi really is boring like that. I dunno why I’ve still got a huge crush on him.”

“Okay, now I know you’re lying,” Kaede said.

“Nishishi, now you’re starting to wake up. A bit. There’s still loads you don’t know, Kaede. And I’m not just talking about Kirumi, either. The question is how much you _will_ know.”

Before Kaede could inquire as to what he meant, Kokichi started heading off.

“What does that mean? Kokichi?” Kaede took a few steps after him, before letting out an exasperated sigh. She wouldn’t get answers from him after that, and she knew it.

“Geez… screw him,” Kaede said to nobody in particular, turning in the opposite direction, not particularly caring where she ended up, though heading vaguely in the direction of her room.

Kaede had almost wandered her way back to her room without even really running into anybody else. However, in the last stretches before her dorm room, she managed to almost crash into Maki in the hallway.

“Watch where you’re going,” Maki offered.

“Right, sorry,” Kaede replied, passing by – before feeling a hand on her shoulder, one that quickly spun her back around.

“Actually, you got a minute? I want to ask something.”

“Um… sure? You need help with assignments?”

“No, I’m fine. Have you seen or heard anything weird, lately?” Maki asked.

“Um… no, I don’t think so,” Kaede replied. Definitely a lie, and one she prayed Maki would not press on. Maki frowned for a moment, looking Kaede up and down.

“… Unfortunately, I found Kokichi might have been honest for once about the webs in the woods.” Maki dug into her pocket, taking out a plastic bag with a clipping in it, the plastic clinging to the web and almost making it look vacuum-sealed. “Can you keep an eye out?”

“For… more webs?” Kaede asked.

“God, you’re as dense as Kaito sometimes. For that, and for things weird like that.” Maki passed Kaede once again, leaving her with more questions that wouldn’t be answered. Another exasperated sigh, and she pushed open her dorm room, flipping herself onto her bed and opening up her messages again, scrolling through her contacts. She opened Shuichi’s contact for a moment, debating on messaging him at all – he likely wouldn’t have immediate answers anyway.

Just as she was about to click away, however, she suddenly received a message from him.

_This might be weird to mention but did you know Kiibo is really warm?_

Kaede smiled a little.

_really? that’s so cool! im guessing you cuddled with him for a while lol_

_Yep. Sorry I didn’t text you earlier._

_it’s fine! don’t worry._

Kaede’s fingers hovered over the keys for a bit, wondering how to phrase her questions.

_…_

_…_

_hey, um, Maki stopped me in the hallway today and asked if i’d seen anything weird like those giant spiderwebs in the forest_

_I’m sorry the WHAT NOW_

Kaede slapped her forehead.

_right you weren’t there when Kokichi was stirring trouble this morning_

_bottom line is Maki asked if i’d seen anything weird and asked me to keep a further eye out, what does that mean, and have you seen anything weird?_

There seemed to be hesitation on Shuichi’s end for a moment before Kaede got her response.

_Nothing in particular, and I don’t know what she means. Sorry, had to text Kaito._

_ah i see, i’ll leave you to that then and talk again when you’re not busy_

Kaede briefly hovered her finger over Kirumi’s contact, before pressing and holding it in and adding a small purple heart to her contact name.

“It’s just to keep up the lie. It’s not weird if she doesn’t see it,” Kaede said to herself, though even she could feel her tone was more like she was trying to convince herself of that rather than it being the truth.

Laying her phone back on her nightstand, she stared blankly at the ceiling for a while.

_It’s not weird. I’m just trying to keep up the lie. But god, Kokichi seems to already be seeing through it. Can I even keep him distracted? I mean, surely he wouldn’t believe Kirumi’s a- damnit, I don’t wanna call her a monster. This is my inner monologue though, so is it okay? Ugh, whatever it is, he couldn’t believe something that surreal, right? I only believed it because I actually saw her._

“Ugh, geez…” Kaede said out loud, shoving her headphones over her ears and scrolling through her piano playlist – shaking her head. Her playlist only had about 374 songs – nowhere near enough, but she still hit shuffle and hoped for the best. As she hit shuffle, she received another text. Checking the contact, she found it was from Kirumi.

_Regarding our next ‘date’, perhaps we should meet outside in a couple of days? I think fresh air would do us both good._

_yeah, sure thing!_

Kaede smiled, resting her phone on her stomach and investigating the lipstick smear on her blouse. Nothing she couldn’t wash out, hopefully – but that small longing that Kirumi had been a little more dedicated to the ruse came back.

“… it’s just because Kokichi caught you. Don’t get so clingy with Kirumi, Kaede…” she said to herself. But in her mind and heart, she knew that these thoughts so frequently probably meant one thing.

_I do have a very real crush on Kirumi._


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey sorry this one is much shorter, took a while, and isn't really advancing the romance - i promise the next chapter will hopefully be longer, but im hoping there's some subtle (and not so subtle) implications to later storylines :D

“… This seems like something _Kokichi_ would do, not me.”

Kaede sat cross-legged on her bed, a two-page of scrapbook spread out in front of her.

“Geez, I spent all this time putting this together and I still don’t have anyone I can _definitely_ tell…”

Kaede threw herself back onto the bed. Her best bets were Kaito, Angie, and Kiyo, of all people, and while she fancied herself the social butterfly, she didn’t think she was close enough to Kiyo or Angie to tell them. Kaito seemed like her best bet, but if he told Shuichi, the jig would be up. Hell, Kokichi might even get that information out of him easy.

Kaede let out an exasperated sigh, before rolling onto her side, kicking her scrapbook off the bed. “I’ve gotta keep this bottled up, don’t I.”

She already knew that it would inevitably end in the bottle opening and spilling the truth out onto the floor like blood in a violent murder. Kaede sighed, rolling over and grabbing her phone again – no sooner had she grabbed her phone than she’d received another text from Shuichi.

_I mean, I guess I saw Tenko kind of flip out and bolt from the cafeteria when someone spilled a drink on her? Like, freaking out I understand, but she didn’t even stay long enough to punch him._

_seems a bit weird but not super out of left field?_

Despite the topic answering one of her questions, Kaede debated on swapping subjects and telling Shuichi the truth about her and Kirumi’s relationship. He probably would be hurt that he was lied to, and Kokichi might be able to pester him for the truth which could lead to the whole web of lies collapsing – _pun in my brain not intended,_ Kaede thought – but on the other hand, he was the closest friend she had, and would hopefully understand she lied because he was with a group of other people…

_by the way, i need to tell you something_

_you’re not in trouble or anything dw, i just need to get it out there, between us at least. please keep it a secret._

_Okay?_

_i have a crush on Kirumi_

_But… you’re already dating her?_

_i know you’re about to go “you’re already dating—yeah_

_but- ugh can we just meet up somewhere? doing this over text is awkward_

_Uh, sure. Where abouts?_

_cafeteria in 15 minutes?_

_20?_

_done_

Kaede sighed as she slipped her phone into her pocket and brushed out her hair, placing the musical note hairclips she treasured dearly back into her hair so she looked like she hadn’t spent the last hour trying to figure out who to tell about her crush.

“God I hope he’s not angry at me… I did lie to him,” she said to herself. Given she had nothing to really do for the next 10 minutes before she headed to the cafeteria, she decided to look back through all of her photos of the past 2 years at Hope’s Peak – both in her scrapbook and on her phone.

Dozens of photos of her classmates flashed before her eyes, as did some of their terrible decisions – Tenko trying to dye her hair bright red (which was gone basically the next day, somehow), Kaito trying to hang off the rope by just his legs in gym class (taken seconds before he lost his balance and fell down), that day where Maki was paid 2000 yen to do Kokichi’s makeup (and in the process make him look more like a clown than he ever had)…

And as she looked closer at photos of Kirumi, she couldn’t help but notice certain little things – things that were a little off, and yet, made her heart flutter all the more. Slightly too-long canines, dark tipped and sharp-looking nails in one of the few photos she wasn’t wearing her gloves. How elegant yet genuine her smiles were, the way her cheeks dimpled ever so slightly when she laughed, how clean and crisp her makeup always seemed to be…

_Hey, where are you?_

Oh. Shit.

Kaede gently closed her photo album, leaving it at the foot of her bed, before charging out the door and sprinting towards the cafeteria, just barely avoiding crashing into Gonta along the way, yelling an apology as she passed (that Gonta returned – though it wasn’t his fault).

Kaede burst into the cafeteria, and thanked the stars above that it was mostly empty. She managed to spot Shuichi easily among the small group, quickly running over to him and resting her hands on her knees.

“Sorry, I got distracted,” she said, looking up at Shuichi, who smiled nervously.

“It’s alright. Now, um, what did you want to talk about?”

“Well, I feel like – I feel like I should catch my breath, first. I did- just sprint halfway – across the school, and- my talent isn’t anything- physical,” Kaede said. “Maybe talk over food?”

“You go ahead, I uh- I already ate. I’ll find a spot away from everyone,” Shuichi said.

Kaede slid a small tray next to Shuichi a few minutes later, smiling widely and looking a lot calmer. “Thanks for coming.”

“It’s no problem, really. Um, you-“ Shuichi stopped himself before lowering his voice. “You said something about having a crush on Kirumi? I thought you were already dating her.”

“I… can’t tell you what me and Kirumi were fighting about back there truthfully, but I kind of just blurted out that we were dating in a panic.”

“I see… did she take it as a confession?”

Kaede pouted. “If she took it as a confession, we wouldn’t be having this conversation right now.”

“Right, sorry.” Shuichi scratched his head.

“Anyway, now I’ve got an actual crush on her and- I just need to tell someone.”

“I’m glad you trust me, Kaede, but why not Kiru-“

“I can’t just tell Kirumi I have a crush on her! She’ll think I blurted out we were dating to trap her in a relationship! I don’t ever wanna force that on her…”

“I… well, yeah. Sorry, I’m not much help with dating advice…”

Kaede sighed. “Yeah… I know. I just need a crush confidant. I understand if you don’t want to-“

“Kaede, you kept my crush on Kiibo secret for six months before I told him how I felt. I’ll be happy to do the same for you.” Shuichi offered a determined smile – a type of smile, Kaede noted, was pretty rare for him.

“Shuichi… thank you.” Kaede said. “Just until I’m ready to tell her – if ever. It’s not exactly easy saying I have a crush on Kirumi of all people.”

“Hey, I’m the one dating a robot.”

“Yeah, but Kiibo’s really nice! And I don’t think he could snap your neck if he chose to!”

“He’s made of metal, Kaede…”

“With the strength of a senior citizen!”

Kaede’s friendly banter continued for a little while, before she finally finished her food. Sighing and feeling a lot better, Kaede stood up.

“Um, thank you, Shuichi. For coming out and talking with me about this.”

“It’s no problem. I should probably get back to my room though, I have some studying I need to catch up on.”

“Yeah, no problem! See you!”

After cleaning up, Kaede quickly headed back to her dorm room. While there was still a certain weight on her shoulders that she’d have to keep up the ruse for Kokichi – and now a separate ruse for Kirumi – she had at least told one person part of the truth. Luckily, someone she trusted, too.

She set her scrapbook on her desk and grabbed her music sheets and a smaller, portable keyboard – hardly the grandness of a true piano, but it would help her get the basic tune down.

“So… how long should I spend on this?” Kaede asked herself, checking her phone. The clock read 8pm.

“Maybe… an hour? An hour and a half?”

She fell asleep at her desk two hours later.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HEY sorry i did not mean to keep you from the wlws for so long but uni was kicking my ass unfortunately oTL
> 
> i hope this chapter makes up for it and that we get some more momentum going soon!! (as well as more work on dr:72 hours)
> 
> i've also read all your lovely comments - and they've been absolutely wonderful to read, so thank you so much for sending them in! i haven't responded because of anxiety + i don't know how unfortunately lol

Despite everything that happened in the days straight after the full moon, life managed to calm down again for the next couple of days for Kaede.

In fact, parts of her life were better than ever.

Managing to at least confide in Shuichi, she felt confident in translating her feelings into her piano playing, finding a new emotion in it she hadn’t found before – her feelings for Kirumi finding their way into the notes she played, into the music that filled the auditorium whenever she was in there. Thankfully, it did not seem like people were picking up on it – _yet_ , Kaede couldn’t help but add to her internal thoughts. Still, for now, it seemed like people hadn’t picked up on the fake-dating, or on Kaede’s very suddenly realised and real love – and most importantly, Kirumi’s secret.

Though she certainly would’ve requested meeting somewhere else if she’d known she was going to trip and skin her knee on a tree root on the way there.

“Gah… damnit,” Kaede hissed through her teeth, investigating the wound. Blood trickled down her knee, and she quickly pressed the wrist of her blazer into it, seeing no better options. She took a breath through gritted teeth as the fibres brushed against the wound.

“Are you alright?” Kaede heard an alarmed Kirumi behind her, though her face didn’t mirror her voice when she came into view – it was still calm. Kaede took another breath, her teeth still gritting together, letting go of the wound.

“I tripped on a tree root and I think I hit a rock,” Kaede explained as Kirumi knelt, taking a small packet of tissues out of her pocket.

“Here – may I take a look?”

Kaede nodded, and Kirumi began delicately blotting at the wound, managing to wipe it clean without touching the sensitive exposed flesh underneath. She pulled the tissue away for a moment.

“… The wound, while I’ve no doubt it stings, is mostly superficial, and should stop bleeding very soon – however, it may become infected if left untreated,”

“So, do we go to the nurse’s office? Mikan’s bound to be in there,”

“If you would like to go to the nurse’s office, that is fine, though I brought disinfectant and a band-aid if you would prefer to remain here,”

“Yes, I would- Um, I mean, yeah, that sounds way easier,” Kaede said, rubbing the back of her neck as Kirumi dressed her skinned knee.

“There.” Kirumi stood up, holding out her hand. “Are you able to stand?”

“Um… I think so?” Kaede grabbed ahold of Kirumi’s hand regardless – she’d expected to simply have Kirumi help her with a little stability, but Kaede found herself quickly pulled back to her feet instead. She took a deep breath to try and avoid blood flowing straight to her cheeks.

“Thank you, Kirumi… sorry this date started on such a sour note.”

“It is no problem. I brought a thermos of tea and some small sandwiches should you get hungry, and I’ve managed to obtain the rubric for assignments if you wish to work on any.”

“Um – I really appreciate that, but I think most of my assignments require an actual computer or a piano, or at least a keyboard… unfortunately, I haven’t found one small enough to fit in my backpack yet.”

“I suspect it is difficult to place anything approximating a full-size piano into your bag.”

“Impossible, in all honesty – except for one of those gimmicky little mats. Those are kind of cool, but nothing beats a genuine grand piano. It has such a beautiful, rich sounds that you can’t really synthesize…” Kaede began staring into space.

Kirumi chuckled. “I take it you’re quite fond of the music room here, then?”

“Of course! The piano here reminds me of my one… I mean, I wouldn’t be surprised if Hope’s Peak spent a hundred million yen on it, but they’re both top-notch quality. I can’t count how many afternoons I’ve lost to that room. The piano’s in excellent condition, and it’s an older piano – from over 200 years ago, in fact! It makes such a beautiful, rich sound that’s hard to come by in modern pianos…”

“While I am glad you have found something that makes you happy, are you getting your schoolwork done, and more importantly, are you getting proper nutrition and a good night’s rest?”

“Um- er, yes…?” Kaede’s hesitation and high-pitched response revealed her lie. “… Most of the time.”

Kirumi simply offered a silent, incredulous look.

“… Okay, so I may have fallen asleep at my desk after piano practice a couple nights back. And… a few couple of nights before that. A month. For about two years.”

“That cannot be good for your spine. Would you mind if I felt around that area for any issues that may be arising?”

Kaede quickly spun her head away to hide the flush of blood she felt in her cheeks from Kirumi. “S-Sure? I don’t think it’s anything severe.”

“Not currently, but given ten or twenty years, there may be issues if left unchecked.”

Kaede felt Kirumi’s hands delicately glide across her back, firmly pressing in with the prints of her fingers along her shoulderblades and spine. She couldn’t help but also feel the tip of a sharp nail here and there, and she was thankful for her shoulder-length hair – covering the goosebumps on the back of her neck at the sensation.

“I cannot detect any severe problems currently, but if you manage to catch yourself slouching, I recommend trying to straighten your posture.”

“Severe problems? Is there-“

“I apologise – my word choice was not the best. I suppose ‘problems that require attention soon or immediately’ would’ve been better. Nothing’s out of alignment, but I do feel some slight muscle strain.”

“I see… thank you for letting me know,” Kaede immediately tried to at least make her spine straighter than she was – a low bar to clear when Kirumi was so close.

“Of course. Please get some rest – if you’d like, I could also help relieve tension. I would have to ask you to come back to the academy for it to be the most effective.”

Kaede felt her face burn up and quickly turned her head away from Kirumi. “Um- what does that-“

“Please do not get the wrong idea. There’s simply more places that would be comfortable for a massage. And I will admit, I didn’t take you for that sort of person, Kaede.”

“I’m not, I’m not!” Kaede shook her head, desperately trying to force the tingling out of her cheeks. “Um- sorry. Yeah, if you think that’d be best for my health, then I trust you.”

Kirumi gave a slight chuckle. “Very well. Let’s head back to the academy, then.”

As the two walked back, Kaede did her best to conceal a mild rage – not at Kirumi, but at herself. She believed she should’ve said something different – said something to avoid taking up more of Kirumi’s time than was necessary. And yet, she went along with it – and hardly because she truly believed she needed to reduce tension in her shoulders. It was to spend more time with her – in her presence. She raged at herself for her selfishness – a quality Kirumi was sure to detect sooner or later if she didn’t let it go. And most likely, a quality Kirumi would **hate**.

She didn’t even want to think about what might happen if Kirumi hated her.

Though it was the middle of lunch, as Kaede followed Kirumi through the change rooms into the pool (though Kirumi remained dressed, Kaede elected to get changed), she wasn’t sure if she was more surprised by the fact there _were_ people in the pool, or the fact that it was only two – Maki and Kaito, clearly swimming laps as part of training – and even with the brief distracted look that Kaede gave them both, she could easily tell Maki had done about twice as many laps of the pool as Kaito had.

“Hey, Kaede, Kirumi!” Kaito called out as he gripped onto the – Kaede wasn’t entirely sure what it was called; it was like a diving platform, but not. “I was just finishing up with Harumaki here! I decided to slow down to help her catch up!” His hair was uncharacteristically plastered to his face by the water.

“You don’t need to lie to them, especially about something so silly,” Maki threw her hair out of the water, wringing it somewhat back into the pool.

Kaede smiled politely. “I’m sure you’re trying your hardest, Maki.”

Maki shrugged and said nothing in response.

“So, why are you two here? You wanna join us?” Kaito asked. “We’d both be glad to train with you!”

“If that’s your request, when I’m done with Kaede, I would be happy to accompany you swimming,” Kirumi said.

“Yeah, we could all just swim together!” Kaede said.

“Great! You up for that, Harumaki?” Kaito said.

“Whatever,” Maki said. “I don’t know if we’ll have that much time before the bell rings.”

“Let’s leave them to that for the time being,” Kirumi said, gently taking her hand and leading her aside to one of the deck chairs.

“Oh – okay!” Kaede laid down on her stomach, laying her head on its side – one that turned to on her face when Kirumi’s hands touched her back and she felt her face heat several degrees immediately. She’d definitely taken off her gloves, and while it should’ve been just part of the massage, to Kaede, it felt way more intimate than she was prepared for. Even if Kaito and Maki decided to leave, it’d still feel that way – and while she didn’t want that intimacy to go away, she felt like she couldn’t look up and face Kirumi even remotely.

“… Are you cold? You’ve tensed quite a bit, Kaede.” Kirumi lifted her hands for a moment.

“Um – a bit? Sorry- I’ll try to relax more.” Kaede took a deep breath and tried to relax her back as Kirumi resumed, only to feel her hands jerk back suddenly.

“Huh?” Kaede managed to lift her head slightly to catch Maki staring daggers, but not at her – no, she was staring daggers at Kirumi…? Kaede frowned, trying to think of literally any way that Kirumi could have offended Maki in the last fifteen seconds.

“Hey, Harumaki, you okay? You’ve been staring for a bit,” Kaito asked. “You seem to’ve really spooked Kirumi there.”

Kaede lifted her head, catching Maki shaking hers.

“It’s nothing. Let’s just keep swimming.”

“Yeah, how about you join us?” Kaito said.

“If that is your request, I would be happy to swim laps with you once I’m done with-“

“Yeah, let’s go swimming together!” Kaede interjected, sitting up quickly. She knew she was acting suspicious somewhere in the back of her mind, but she wasn’t exactly thinking straight – so, nothing new since her crush on Kirumi had developed.

“Are you sure?” Kirumi asked. “You just said you were cold, Kaede.”

“Yeah – I mean, I’ll get blood pumping with swimming, right?” Kaede stood up and headed towards the pool.

“… Very well, I shall get changed and accompany you.”

As Kirumi headed back into the locker room, Kaede sat down on the pool edge and dangled her feet into the water, biting her lip at the sudden cool sensation.

“… Huh. Maybe the rumours are true,” Maki said.

“The rumours?”

“That you two are dating.”

“What?” Kaito said.

“That’s silly! What even remotely indicated that?” Kaede asked.

“Well, for one, you buried your head into the seat like you were trying to hide your face. For two, Kirumi had gone bright red in hers.”

Kaede felt her heart skip a beat before she shook her head. No, Maki was surely seeing things.

“I mean – it’s not like I’m used to getting a back massage…” Kaede said.

“Maybe, but you’d think Kirumi would be used to _giving_ them.”

“But seriously – Kirumi settling down for a relationship? That doesn’t seem like her at all,” Kaito added.

Though Kaede knew it was true, hearing the truth out loud felt like a rope around her throat.

“I apologise for keeping you waiting.”

Kirumi stood back at the door, dressed in shorts and a tank top. “I also apologise for my swimwear – my size was all gone, so I went for the closest I could get.”

“That’s fi-“ Kaede was cut off as Kirumi leapt off the springboard without skipping a beat, diving over the three of their heads into the water with barely a splash, simply disappearing beneath the pool and resurfacing a third of the way down the pool.

At this, Kaede tried to slip the rest of the way into the pool, but found herself wincing – despite Kirumi’s best efforts, chlorine from the pool wormed its way to her wound from earlier. Still, she was determined to at least follow through on her plan to swim togeth-

RING! RING! RING! RING!

… Or the bell could ring to signify their next class would be in ten minutes.

“Sorry… I should’ve just jumped in earlier,” Kaede said, sliding back out of the pool.

“Maybe keeping a closer eye on the time would’ve helped.” Maki climbed out of the pool, wringing practically a bucket’s worth of water out of her hair.

“I’ll be back momentarily with towels,” Kirumi announced, but Maki held up her hand.

“No need. I’ll grab one myself and just go back to my dorm,”

“Huh? You’re not going to class?” Kaito asked.

“Something’s bothering me. Nothing you need to worry about, but I’ll be fine skipping a class. Besides, all I have to do is pass the exams, right?”

“Well, yeah, but-“

“Then I’ll see you around, Kaito.” Maki left the pool at that, but Kaede still managed to glance one more side-eye from Maki at Kirumi.

She bit her lip – there was something definitely scary about the way Maki was looking at Kirumi, and Kaede couldn’t figure out why. _That_ seemed so far-fetched it was barely worth considering – and yet, consider it, and worry, her brain did.

“Here you are, Kaede, Kaito.” Kaede was dragged out of her thoughts as a warm towel was thrust into her hands.

“Huh? But I barely went into the pool,” she said, as Kaito patted Kirumi on the back and headed into the boy’s changeroom.

“True, but your legs are still wet, and I can speak from experience and outside testimony that wet socks are one of the worst feelings a human can endure outside of pain.”

“My legs aren’t _that_ wet. Here- lemme dry you off.”

“I am able to dry myself off-“

“Kirumi, may I request to dry you off?”

Kaede did let a smile slink onto her face as Kirumi relented.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i am so sorry i vanished off the face of the planet for like 4 months or so here; admittedly, im going into this without much of a plan and am doing this as a sort of ramble exercise. i still hope it's engaging enough for everyone! and i'll try to get the next chapters out sooner.

Kaede stared blankly out the window as class went ahead – for some reason, her mind just couldn’t concentrate on the lesson. She worried that glancing back towards the board would result in her staring at Kirumi, and that wasn’t something either of them needed right now. Kaede rested her chin and jaw in her hand as her eyes wandered around the school grounds. The trees outside still clung to their leaves, but it couldn’t be more than a couple of weeks before they’d start falling and coating the school in crunchy leaves ripe for raking together into piles. Ready for jumping into, or jumping on and crunching underfoot for fun. God, it’d be fun to do that with-

“AKAMATSU!”

Kaede jumped back to attention, startled as she straightened out her spine. “Y-Yes, Mr. Hayato?!”

“I don’t mind if you skip my lessons, but if you are going to be here, I expect you to pay attention,” he replied.

Kaede couldn’t help but feel her face burn with shame, and deep down knew she wouldn’t be able to pay attention. “… Sorry, Mr. Hayato. I’ll catch up on the lesson later.”

Kaede gathered up her bookbag and quickly departed the room, heading down the stairs.

Kaede soon found herself back in the 2nd floor hallway, without much knowledge of what she wanted to do or where she wanted to go. She sorted through her options - the music hall was always ope-

“Come with me if you wish to live.”

Kaede frowned, turning around to find Himiko standing behind her, pointing a finger at her.

“… Nyeh. That sounded a lot more powerful in my head.”

“Er… did you need me for something, Himiko?” Kaede asked.

“I cast a Detect Thoughts spell on you, Kaede, and I can tell you know more than you show,” Himiko said.

Kaede rolled her eyes, ready to write it off as another one of Himiko’s fantasies, but as soon as she realised that Kirumi turned into a spider-monster every full moon meant that magic… very real magic was on the table of existing… she felt her face drain of blood. It was entirely possible Himiko had learned Kirumi’s secret just through a simple spell… maybe Himiko was the Ultimate Mage after all…

“Um… how much do you know…?!” Kaede asked.

“I know that you know more than you’re letting on, but… nyeh. I didn’t have enough MP to figure out exactly what. Come with me.”

Himiko grabbed onto Kaede’s wrist without waiting for an answer, dragging her into the library. 

Kaede tried to pull away. “H-Hey, you can’t just-“

“Shhhhh. Library, remember?” Himiko whispered, gesturing to the room.

“You can’t just drag me in a room and demand I spill everything I know to you,” Kaede whispered back.

“Watch me.”

Kaede found herself in the small study a moment later, Himiko still gripping onto her arm.

“Now. I cast a spell to detect your thoughts, and I know you’re aware of the existence of magic, Kaede,” Himiko began.

“Magic’s not real, Himiko… we all know you perform trick-“

“You finish that sentence and I’ll saw you in half and not put you back together. Anyway… nyeh. You’ve got this look in your eyes that tells me you’re lying.”

Kaede sighed. The price of having a liar in the class – everyone got better at _detecting_ said lies. “… And what of it?”

“I wanna know what you know, Kaede. I’ll even offer you a gift of magic.”

“There’s nothing you can offer me that’d make me accept,” Kaede said.

“Nyeh, not even the one you love feeling the same way…?”

Kaede froze slightly at that. “… Who do you think that is?”

“If you tell me that, and what you know, I can make it happen,” Himiko said. “I’m imparting a dangerous secret onto you, Kaede. I’m a real mage.”

“You’ve imparted that secret on everyone in the class… I’m just the only one that knows it might be true.” Kaede shook her head. “No, wait, that’s not my point! I don’t want to take K- their free will from them!”

“K… hmm. That narrows it down to about just under half our class… Kiibo, Kaito, Korekiyo, Kokichi—”

“No, not Kokichi. Not in a trillion years.”

“Nyeh. Good taste.” Himiko paused. “… or Kirumi.”

Kaede averted her eyes, looking for any exit she could find to the conversation before Himiko began pressing about Kirumi. “Don’t you have classes?”

“Don’t you?” Himiko retorted.

“… I got kicked out.” Kaede said. “I didn’t see you come to class at all.”

“A mage doesn’t need to study regular stuff. Neither does a vampire, a werewolf, a mermaid, a fae…”

Kaede sighed. “What’ll get you to leave me alone?”

“Tell me what you know, Kaede,” Himiko said.

Kaede sighed, trying to quickly think of a believable lie.

“… Well, I was wandering the forest at night a few nights ago,” Some truth. “… and I saw a giant wolf creature off in the distance. I was afraid of it, so I ran, but I could’ve sworn I saw a checkered handkerchief around its neck. At first, I thought Kokichi just wandered too close to it and got eaten or something, but when I saw him okay the next morning… I couldn’t help but be kind of suspicious. So, I asked him about it, and he said there was nothing weird going on at all. You know, his usual lying.” An ironic lie.

“Hm… I don’t have anything else to back that up, but I did lose him on the full moon, so maybe that’s it. Though half the class went missing on the full moon… you included, Kaede.” Himiko began prodding at Kaede’s arms, legs, and face. “Nyeh… what are you?”

“What am I?”

“Disappearing on a full moon suggests some kind of were-creature, but I’m not sure what… and that might not even be correct either.”

Kaede pushed Himiko’s hands away. “I’m a human, Himiko. Surely your magic could determine the absence of anything abnormal.”

“… You’re right. There’s nothing extraordinary about you but your musical talent,” Himiko said. “… So you’re a siren. C’mon, let’s go to the pool! I wanna see this!”

“Look, if they appear in water, then you can talk to Kaito, Maki, or Kirumi who saw me _get in the pool_ and not grow a tail!” Kaede said.

“Shhhhhh. Library,” Himiko chided. “… Nyeh. You’re right. You’re just a human.”

“Yep. I told you what I know. Can I go now?”

“… Nyeh. Yes. I’ll have to think about what you told me. But thinking’s a pain…” Himiko shoved Kaede back out into the library unceremoniously, locking the study behind her.

“What the hell was that all about?” Kaede muttered to herself as she exited the library.

It did, however, prompt Kaede’s own thoughts. If Himiko wasn’t lying or playing up her mage persona, then that made two classmates with supernaturally-related secrets… and Kaede began to realise that it was entirely possible for those two to not be the only ones. And with that thought in her head… she couldn’t help but feel like she was a newborn lamb being dragged into a den of starving lions.

And falling in love with one of the lionesses.

“Kaede?” Kaede spun around to face Shuichi, smiling anxiously at her and fiddling with the brim of his cap.

“Shuichi! What’s up?”

“Did you need help catching up on what you missed? Kirumi said she would’ve helped you, but I asked her if I could do it instead.”

And she let him? Kaede couldn’t help but wonder if Kirumi did find her repulsive or wanted to spend as much time away from her as possible. “I thought she-“

“Look… I kind of knew you were avoiding looking at her so you wouldn’t get distracted by her and tip everyone else off. That’s why I stepped in,” Shuichi said. “You do need to tell her how you actually feel, though.”

“That’s easy for you to say, you already confessed to Kiibo…” Kaede huffed.

“Yeah, with your prompting.”

“You also didn’t panic-force him into a pretend relationship…” Kaede rubbed her elbow.

“… True,” Shuichi adjusted his hat brim again and took a step to the right. “… Did you want the help catching up?”

Kaede snapped back to the task at hand. “Yeah, I do. Um, back to my dorm?”

As the two headed back to the dorm, Kaede’s mind began to wander. Should she recruit Shuichi into helping her navigate this mess? His skill as a detective would be valuable, but Kaede wasn’t sure if she should drag him into something potentially dangerous. She was certain Kirumi was harmless, and she didn’t think Himiko would want to do much either. But if other classmates were secretly monsters or magic-users… she couldn’t determine which ones were so harmless. Maki in particular seemed to be giving off dangerous vibes… could she be, like, a vampire or werewolf? Or something even more dangerous?

Kaede and Shuichi were at the dorms before Kaede could complete her thoughts, and she nearly walked straight into the door.

“Ehe… sorry. Must’ve been lost in thought,” Kaede said, opening the door. “Come in!”

“I’ve gotten like that before,” Shuichi said with a brief chuckle, before squinting and shielding his eyes. “S-Sorry, I didn’t get good sleep last night – can you close your curtains? It’s really bright out.”

“Oh- sorry. I like having the natural light, but sure,” Kaede said, sliding the curtains closed and flicking on the light switch. “Alright, so what did I miss?”

The next half hour was spent going over the material Kaede missed, but she only absorbed about the basics of what she was learning, consumed by her dilemma. Anything more complex was completely lost on her.

“… Kaede?” Shuichi asked.

“Hm?”

“You seem out of it. You okay?”

Kaede laughed nervously. “Sorry. Stuck in thought again.”

“Heh… love’s like that sometimes, I’ve found.”

Kaede paused for a moment, before finally jumping the shark. “Um… it actually isn’t love I’m thinking about. I… I wanted to ask for your help with something.”

“Anything, Kaede.”

Kaede took a deep breath. She’d have to be careful how she worded it to avoid revealing Kirumi’s secret. “… There’s something strange going on at Hope’s Peak… things that are straight up paranormal. I’m… I’m pretty sure that there’s actual folklore monsters in our class.”

Shuichi frowned. “Hm?”

“I… I don’t know how to explain it, but there’s been too many strange occurrences lately that just have no natural explanation. Himiko dragged me into the library today and told me she could tell I know more than I should. And the thing is… I want to know more. No matter how dangerous it might get. And I thought you might be able to help- are you okay? You’re sweating like hell.”

Shuichi wiped his forehead. “S-Sorry. I-I know I said I’d help with anything, but I need to think about this. It’s a lot to take in at once.”

Kaede bit her lip. “Sorry for wasting your time, Shuichi…”

“It’s not a waste of time. I’ll… I’ll give you my answer in a few days. I’ll leave my books with you- um, it’s a weekend, so just return them on Monday. I’ll catch up.”

“… Okay, if you’re sure…” Kaede said. “See you.”

“Yeah. I’ll see you later.”

After Shuichi left, Kaede shuffled her piano slightly back and sunk her head onto the desk. Of course Shuichi was too risky a recruit – he might have had the brains for it, but he also had anxiety. Mentally, Kaede prepared herself for a ‘no’ – another no to add to the pile. No, Shuichi wouldn’t help her figure out what was going on around Hope’s Peak. No, Kirumi would never love her back. No, she’d never be obsessed with anything but the piano and her love life…

 _It’s a weak thing to cry about_ , Kaede thought.

And yet, she cried.


	6. Chapter 6

Though Kaede knew her issues were inconsequential in the grand scheme of her life, she felt like a shambling mess of her former self the last couple of days.

Rather than sitting in the cafeteria and conversing with her class and other classes, she opted to take food and sit alone on the sports field, staring up at the sky until her next class. She could tell her heart wasn’t in her piano performances, but she practiced anyway – her music sounding, though played with her usual skill, token and hollow. She knew eventually people would worry about her. But as she wandered the halls seemingly on autopilot to her next class, Kaede also knew it was still a conversation that she wasn’t ready to have.

“Wow, you’re so sad you’re sagging a bit. Kinda impressive, considering how sm-“

“I’m not in the mood for your shit, Miu.” Kaede raised her hand, continuing to walk past.

“I didn’t say I was just gonna screw with ya. You’ve been fucked up the past couple days,” Miu replied, walking alongside Kaede.

“And you care why?”

“Cuz I can see it’s that little failed abortion Kokichi that’s doin’ this to ya.”

“Kokichi’s the last thing causing me problems right now.”

“Yeah, but I can tell he’s still on that list,” Miu raised her arms behind her head.

“Again, why do you care?”

“Because it’s annoying me, doy! You’re walkin’ around like a zombie, and it’s wrecking my vibes!”

“… Then just ignore me. Doy.”

“Hey, you’re not allowed to say that! That’s my line, Kaediot!” Miu placed her hand on Kaede’s shoulder, and Kaede yanked her shoulder away.

“Hey! Take the hint and-“

Kaede was interrupted by the sound of a ‘thwap’ hitting the ground. Frowning, Kaede looked towards the ground, wondering if she’d dropped a book, or if Miu hadn’t been entirely honest with how ‘real’ she was. Instead, Kaede found a disembodied hand on the floor.

“Eep! What the hell is that?!” Kaede pointed to it, scrambling backwards towards the wall.

Miu seemed to pause for a moment, before cackling. “Ha! Gotcha, Bakamatsu! The old ‘fake hand’ trick!” She picked the hand back off the ground – and Kaede could see now the hand definitely belonged to Miu.

“… A trick?! Seriously? You stopped me in the hall to play a trick!?”

“D-Don’t get so angry with me…! I just wanted to cheer you up…” Miu put the hand back where it had been.

“I still don’t get why… but I guess that was helpful in its own way. Thanks, Miu.”

“Ha! Yeah! Now you owe me! Come help me prank Kokichi! The little shit got Gonta in on one of his pranks and now I need a-“

“I appreciate it. I really do. But I have more important things to worry about.”

“What, like your little sexcapades with Kirumi?”

Kaede made a sound like a putt-putt that had tissues crammed in its exhaust pipe. “That’s- that’s a really loaded question! And it’s not even a question!”

“Ha, knew it!”

“I’m- I’m not dating Kirumi!”

“The whole school’s seen the way you two look at each other. The only other two looking at each other like that and haven’t confessed shit are the four-eyed scary bitch and short stack baby gangsta in that other class.”

“You’d probably die if either of them heard you.”

“Yeah, well, they won’t hear me. Anyway, if that stick’s still too far up your ass to help me, guess this shit was all for nothing.”

“And there’s why you care…” Kaede shook her head as Miu walked off. But strangely, she had felt better.

Kaede’s final class of the day had come and gone without much fuss, and the question came as to what to do now. She hadn’t really fallen behind on out-of-class work, and even if she had, she just had to pass the exams. She thought about going back to the music hall, but as she passed by, she could, albeit just barely, hear loud heavy metal and the sounds of a girl screaming her lungs out; so, the room was definitely occupied.

Kaede sighed and opened the door – maybe Ibuki would provide some entertaining compan-

Kaede froze up slightly as she saw the stage. Ibuki was a given, but she hadn’t expected in a million years for Kirumi to be up there with her. Even less expected to Kaede was that Kirumi was also up there with a microphone in her hands.

“Oh- Kaede?” Kirumi put the microphone back into the stand, as Ibuki stopped with a sharp feedback loop that made both of the other girls cover their ears.

“Sorry, I- I mean, I thought Ibuki might be in here, but I didn’t expect you at all…” Kaede replied, heading down the hall.

“She asked me to help her try out a different element to her music – something elegant, she said,” Kirumi replied.

“I tried to ask Celes, but she just threatened to bite my head off. Not that that wouldn’t be a sick way to go, but Ibuki’s definitely not done with her impact on the world yet!”

“I see… would it be okay if I watched?”

“Ibuki was actually just about to finish up!” Ibuki placed her guitar back on the stands and began turning off the amplifiers. “Yeah, you came in about a minute before the song ended, but we’ve been practicing most of the afternoon anyway. But, Ibuki’s still gotta go for a run around the school!”

Ibuki grabbed her bag in one fell swoop and headed to the door. “See ya later!”

The doors shut, leaving Kaede and Kirumi alone again.

“… How do you think that went?” Kaede asked, rubbing the back of her neck, and trying to avoid looking Kirumi in the eye.

“… I don’t know if heavy metal and classical go together quite in the way she envisions, and more importantly, I don’t believe my voice suits it. I think she should’ve seen Sayaka instead, but I brought that up with her and she seemed to ignore it.”

Kaede managed a quick glance at Kirumi and could tell she was avoiding eye contact as well. Kaede straightened up her posture and did her best to look Kirumi in the eye.

“… I do have something I should probably tell you,” she said.

Kirumi frowned slightly. “What is it?”

Part of Kaede tried to push forth ‘I actually do love you’. A small part, quickly drowned by urgency. “… Himiko dragged me into the library yesterday and told me she knew something weird was happening around the school… I didn’t tell her anything incriminating about you, but… I don’t think you’re the only paranormal thing at Hope’s Peak.”

“… I’d argue that sounds preposterous, but I trust you wouldn’t say these kinds of things to make me feel better,” Kirumi said.

“No, of course not. I tried to enlist Shuichi’s help to learn more, but… he looked really sick when I asked him about it.”

“When was this?”

“Last Friday, after you told him to check up on me. I gave him his books back Monday, and it’s Wednesday today…”

“Have you talked to him since Monday?”

“Haven’t talked to him since Friday. I left his books by his locker with a note apologizing for Friday and went to class.”

“You’re not in any group projects with him?”

“… Shit. We’re a duo group presentation in History.”

“I see… I do not believe he would be upset with you long. You’ve had a strong comradery since we’ve arrived here. And I fail to see how you could have offended him.”

“Maybe it was taking his detective work for granted, or that this all sounds totally out there… I mean, if I didn’t see you with my own eyes, I wouldn’t believe me either.”

“… If I may say so, I recommend you talk to him again. Even if it isn’t immediately, you do need to clarify whether anything is wrong.” 

“I… I’ll try to face him again, then, and as soon as I can. If you’re the one suggesting it, then I’m sure it’s a good course of action.”

“Let me know how it goes, hm?” Kaede managed to catch a small smile on Kirumi’s face.

“Of course I will. See you later!” Kaede waved to Kirumi as she left the music hall, though as soon as the doors shut behind her, she silently cursed herself for still lacking that courage.

Kaede shook her head, taking out her phone and texting Shuichi again.

sorry about the other day. we can drop that and pretend it never happened.

Kaede continued wandering the hallway as she waited for Shuichi’s response.

One minute became two, two minutes became five, five minutes became ten, and eventually Kaede just headed out to the courtyard to wait.

Ten minutes turned to twenty, twenty minutes turned to forty, and as Kaede stared up at the trees above her, still waiting, she began drifting off to sleep…

“Yoo-hoo? Kaede? Time to wake up!”

Kaede sat up with a start, nearly crashing heads with the person hanging over her.

“Angie…? Don’t startle me like that…” Kaede rubbed her head.

“Aw, come on! God told me that you had passed out in the courtyard!” Angie declared. “It’s already sunset!”

“Ah, fuck…” Kaede stood back up, before frantically checking her phone. “Anything…?”

**1 new message.**

No. There’s something I need to tell you. But not now. Meet me by the sakura tree surrounded by 3 benches just after sundown on Friday. I’ll be ready then. Hopefully.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry i keep falling behind on this oTL i really do enjoy writing it, but i've been backed up with video editing. hopefully i can remain a bit on top of this though.


	7. Chapter 7

After another two days of Kaede’s mind being occupied by the meeting on Friday and what she’d do until then, she finally realised she was completely exhausted, with only hours to go before she had to meet up with Shuichi.

Stress had taken root in Kaede’s mind and refused to let her go – it had accompanied her through her lessons, through her free time, and through even her sleep, despite the short amount of time. And despite the protests of a certain hall monitor in one of the other classes who had noticed the darkening circles under her eyes and urging her to get a proper night’s sleep, the worries about this meeting refused to leave Kaede.

Worse yet, she knew this was very unlike her.

She was usually focused, usually in the music hall, usually upbeat. And yet for the past two weeks she’d barely been able to summon any of her usual energy, instead wandering the school in hopes that everything would just solve itself and let her be happy again. Instead, she was being drawn further and further into a whirlpool she barely understood, one that threatened to drag her into the depths and refuse to let her go. She couldn’t just ignore that the paranormal was now a thing in her life. All she could do now was hope for an epiphany that let her understand it fully.

But would an epiphany really come to her while she was wandering the 4th floor, with no real end goal in sigh-

Kaede’s train of thought was interrupted when one of the students from one of the other classes burst out of the door to the dojo, tossing his trenchcoat onto his back and swearing loudly, though indiscriminately. Kaede quickly pushed herself along the wall as he passed, muttering something about “forgot she’s real scary with dudes…”

“Tenko?” Kaede said to herself, peeking back into the dojo.

“Kaede! Thank god, I thought that male was coming back! Thankfully, it’s you!” Tenko grinned as Kaede entered the dojo, sliding the door shut behind her.

“Have you been here long?” Kaede asked, rubbing her eyes slightly as she stepped forward.

“About an hour. But what’s wrong?”

“Oh- nothing, it’s fine.” Kaede waved a hand dismissively. “You don’t need to worry abo-AAA!”

Kaede was cut off as Tenko grabbed her arm, lifting her up over her back and tossing her onto the floor.

“Oww… what was that for?” Kaede asked, pushing herself up onto her hands and knees. Tenko crouched down as well, meeting Kaede eye-to-eye.

“You haven’t been resting well at all… there’s something big on your mind, Kaede. This isn’t like you at all, I can absolutely feel it. If you want, you can tell me what’s worrying you… getting it off your chest will help a lot.”

Kaede hesitated for a moment. Confiding in Tenko could make her feel better, but… it was about Himiko, which she wasn’t sure Tenko would take well at all. And then there was the worry if she’d be able to keep quiet about it.

“I want to get it off my chest, but it’s not something I can talk about, really. I don’t wanna worry you, Tenko…”

“I’m gonna be worried when I see you like this, Kaede. Look, you haven’t slept well in a week, and you’re looking like a hollowed-out version of yourself! You’re wandering the halls like a zombie, of course I’ll be worried.”

“I… I know. And I like that about you. But I mean it when I say I can’t talk about it. It’s a secret someone asked me to keep from everyone-“

Kaede froze as a realization hit her like a truck; if Shuichi had changed his mind and did want to help her, then Kaede had another problem. If she wanted to look into the situation with the school, she and Shuichi had to do it while she still somehow kept Kirumi’s secret…

“Kaede?! Did one of those awful boys do something to you?! I’ll tear them apart if they even touched you!”

“N-No, nothing like that at all! I swear!” Kaede held her hands up. “It’s not related to any of the boys. It’s… like I said, it’s not something I can talk about. Someone asked me to keep a secret for them – a girl.”

Thankfully, that seemed to dissuade Tenko. “Oh, I see! But what kind of secret could a girl be asking you to keep that makes you so stressed?”

“Like I said, I unfortunately can’t say. She’s doing it for good reasons, though.” Kaede quickly checked her phone – it was about 5pm, around sunset now. “I should be going, though – thank you for the talk, Tenko.”

“I see… Well, I wish you luck with that, and if you need anything, you know where to find me!” Tenko yelled the last few words, waving as Kaede left.

Heading down into the courtyard, Kaede read over the text from Shuichi. The sakura tree with three benches around it wasn’t super difficult to find, and Kaede managed to find it before the sun had fully set. Shuichi, however, was nowhere to be found.

When he didn’t show up for a few more minutes, Kaede’s mind began wandering to potential scenarios as to why not. It was the location and time he’d set, so where was he? Had he stood her up for a cheap prank? That didn’t sound like Shuichi at all. Did he intend to hurt her? That didn’t sound like him either. Had something awful happened to him instead?

Kaede decided that last one could at least be investigated. Pulling out her phone, she sent a quick text to him.

shuichi? are you there? i’m where you told me to meet

Kaede looked away from her phone and kept a lookout, wondering if she should’ve asked Tenko to follow her to the courtyard. She couldn’t place her finger on why, but she felt unsafe.

Kaede had just opened her messages with Tenko when she received a reply from Shuichi.

I said **after** sundown. And I know that once you see it, you’re probably going to anyway, but please don’t panic. I won’t hurt you

Kaede frowned. She didn’t expect Shuichi to hurt her. He was probably the most harmless guy in her class (or at least the least capable of harm) – what context could change that? Kaede felt as though she should text Tenko and get a line of defense, but somehow, she felt as though that she didn’t need it. That she could, indeed, trust Shuichi. She knew that Tenko would probably yell about how wrong that was if she was here and able to read Kaede’s thoughts, but the fact of the matter was that Tenko wasn’t here.

The last rays of sunlight disappeared over the horizon, and Kaede could see the lavender sky turning deeper and deeper shades of indigo. It was kind of beautiful – it had been a few months since she’d seen a proper sunset, and seen the sky turn deep and full of stars. Somehow, Kaito had never dragged her out for stargazing – she knew he often went out with Maki and Shuichi-

“I’m sorry I kept you waiting so long.”

Kaede jumped a little, startled out of her thoughts by Shuichi’s voice. She swiveled around to face him and offered a smile.

“It’s okay! I was a bit concerned by the text message, though – are you alright? You mentioned something about asking me not to panic…”

Shuichi sat down next to Kaede. “I… I do want to help investigate. We’re friends, after all. But if we are going to investigate this together, there’s something you need to know about me.”

“Something I need to know? Did you kill a man?”

“What? No- I mean- I didn’t kill anybody, but…” Shuichi took a deep breath. “Place your fingers up to my jugular.”

“Place my fingers where now?”

“Right, you’re not Mikan. Right here.” Shuichi pointed to just under his jaw. Hesitantly, Kaede pressed her fingers against it.

“Um… I don’t notice anything. You’re kind of cold, that’s all.”

“That’s the problem. Do you notice anything at all?”

“No, I can’t say that I do…” Kaede trailed off, before realization hit. “… I don’t notice anything… at all. I’m not that great at finding it, but… shouldn’t I feel your pulse?”

Shuichi remained silent, and Kaede glanced down at a trembling fist. It was the look he always gave when he didn’t want to face the truth – he wanted Kaede to figure it out for herself.

Kaede remained silent herself, holding onto Shuichi’s hand to try and steady the trembling. Even though her hands were cold, his felt colder, somehow. She laid down what she knew: Shuichi’s skin was cold to the touch and she was having a lot of difficulty locating his pulse. He hadn’t given her a completely straight answer when she asked if he’d killed someone. He specified to wait after sunset to see him. And suddenly, all the little pieces also began clicking like the melody of a piano; she’d not seen him eat since the first few months at Hope’s Peak, he seemed to always be quite lethargic in class and quite active at night, he always seemed to try and stay out of direct sunlight…

Kaede froze herself slightly – the only movement coming from Shuichi’s shaking hands. She didn’t exactly expect Shuichi to do anything, but if her conclusion was correct, she realised exactly what context would change whether she thought Shuichi would hurt her. Humor wasn’t her forte, but it was all she could offer that wasn’t outright silent panic.

“… So, do you want to start quoting _Twilight,_ or…”

“… Then you’ve probably realised. Kaede… I’m sorry. I should’ve said something sooner, but I wasn’t sure how. I wasn’t even sure how you’d take it. But I promise, I won’t hurt you.”

Kaede took a deep breath, glancing down at his hands. He was still trembling. She frowned a little, before tightening her grip on his hands and looking up with a determined smile.

“I believe you, Shuichi. And… thank you for trusting me enough to tell me.”

“Kaede…”

Shuichi untucked his hands from Kaede’s and wrapped them around her shoulders, and she could feel the back of his hair rubbing into the crook of her neck. Quickly glancing back, she spied his hat looking outwards. Slowly, she returned the hug – he was cold, but it was still pleasant in a way – like hugging a cold blanket on a hot night.

“It’s alright. Again, thank you for trusting me enough to tell me.”

“It’s a two-way street… thank you for trusting me, too.” Shuichi let go, sitting upright again. “… So. Where did you want to start with the investigation?”

Kaede thought about it for a minute, before realizing in order to have any real leads, she’d need to betray Kirumi’s trust. When that thought passed her brain, she began to look like there was a frog in her mouth.

“Um… w-well. Himiko did say she was a legitimately powerful mage, so maybe there…?”

“… I can tell you’re hiding what you know, but I don’t know what that is or why.”

Kaede bit her lip. “I… it’s something someone else imparted on me. They wanted me to keep it a secret.”

Shuichi frowned, pausing for a moment, before nodding. “… Alright. You don’t need to explain further. But it will make our investigation harder. I’ll spend the night trying to see where Himiko frequents. You… um. You look exhausted.”

“I haven’t slept in a couple of days… yeah. I should probably try to do that. But… really, Shuichi, thank you for helping me.”

Shuichi offered a smile – one wide enough for Kaede to catch a glance of a pair of fangs. “It’s no problem. We’re friends, after all. For now, get some rest. I’ll tell you what I know when I get something comprehensive together.”

“Thank you… I’ll find a way to repay you for this. Even if it is with my blood,” Kaede said, half-joking.

“I’ll hold that thought if all of my other safe options are down,” Shuichi replied.

Going their separate ways for the night, Kaede laid down in her dorm room and began staring at the ceiling. She had her ticket into this world, but she knew the gate was closing behind her. She pulled out her phone for a moment, staring at Shuichi’s contact.

She could easily pull away – tell him she’d changed her mind, but would still keep his secret. Just like she was keeping Kirumi’s.

Though those were secrets she was keeping either way – and even if they weren’t… she was intrigued by this world, she found. Standing on the precipice, and not only jumping in, but taking a running start at it and diving in.

If discovering Kirumi’s secret was the 1st movement of _Moonlight Sonata,_ this moment of Kaede’s life was the 3rd movement.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i think the fact that this fic is going to be sporadically updated is just going to be something we have to live with. when's the next update? 2 days? 3 months? who knows? not me!


	8. Chapter 8

Kaede was thankful that the worried glances of those around her were beginning to stop. As colour returned to her over the next few days and her steps returned to her usual slight bounce, she was stopped less on her way places. Granted, those ‘places’ still usually culminated in “Classroom”, “Cafeteria”, “Gym”, “Dorm”, and most frequently “Music Hall”, but it was clear that a huge weight had been finally lifted from her shoulders.

Though Shuichi hadn’t found much, he had reported that Himiko seemed to frequent the library on school nights, though since Angie, Tenko, and Gonta (surprisingly, considering Tenko) usually all filed in after her, he wasn’t able to determine if this was for school studies or for magic studies. Kaede had a feeling an interrogation would wind up happening soo-

“You seem oddly thoughtful today, Kaede- hey!”

Kaede wasn’t sure if she just didn’t notice him or was _pretending_ not to notice him, but the next thing she knew, Kokichi was on the floor, apparently shoved over by her.

“Ow!! Kaede, do you hate me that much? That’s so mean…” Kokichi began loudly sobbing on the floor, drawing a few glances from the class inside – Ms. Yukizome completely stopping in the middle of her roll taking.

Kaede rolled her eyes. “Kokichi, I’m not falling for i-“

“MISS YUKIZOME! KAEDE PUSHED ME OVER!”

Kaede sighed. “Get up already, Kokichi-“

“Heey, no pushing or shoving!” Chisa was at the door in an instant, arms and legs stretched across the doorframe.

“I didn’t shove him- ugh. Sorry for shoving you, Kokichi.”

Kokichi let out a few more sobs, before abruptly stopping. “Okay! I feel better now! Thank you!”

Chisa nodded, turning back to her class. Kaede swore she heard a little girl’s voice snickering.

“What do you want, Kokichi?” Kaede asked, walking further down the hallway.

“Nothing! I just wanna hang out with my bestie, Kaede, before class!”

“That’s one of the most obvious lies you’ve ever told.” Kaede’s head flipped around to Maki, with her and Kokichi flanking her on both sides.

“Aww, come on, Harumaki! Can’t I at least try to be friendly to Kaede?”

“By drawing Professor Yukizome out of her class? Really friendly there.”

Kaede sped up her pace slightly and turned around, stopping in the middle of the hallway, just before the stairwell.

“Okay, you two NEVER walk to class together willingly. What’s going on?”

“Nothing, nothing! We’re just three besties who wanted to walk to class together-“

“What are you doing, Kaede?”

Kaede frowned. “What am I… doing? What am _I_ doing?! You guys hate each other, don’t you? Why are you walking to class with me?”

“We don’t hate each other, Kaede! God, do you know-“

“Shut up. You know what I mean. Not all those books in your hands are related to your classes,” Maki said.

“Yeah. They’re music books. To keep notes on my music. Because I’m a piani-“

“Those aren’t music notebooks, Kaede.”

“They are. Stop trying to invade my goddamn business!”

“Aw, that’s ironic, isn’t it?” Kokichi rested his hands behind his head.

“Ironic?! What do you-“

“Because we’ve definitely seen you getting involved with the business of other students. And thus, **our** business.” Kokichi’s smile turned sinister, and Kaede felt fear grip her heart as she looked at them both. Did they know? How much did they know?

“S-Stop it! I don’t have to tell you anything!” Kaede pointed at the two for dramatic effect, cradling all her books in one arm.

“You’re right. You don’t have to. Buuut… you may walk away with a few more cuts and bruises if you don’t come clean, Kaede. C’mon! You know I hate lies!”

Kaede took a step back out of instinct, and in the same second, Maki took two steps forward towards her. Kaede knew in every fiber of her being that she wouldn’t be able to outrun Maki.

“Please, jus-“

“What are you three doing?” Kaede heard a familiar voice and her heart skipped a beat, and she turned her glance up the staircase. Kirumi stood halfway down the stairwell, staring out inquisitively.

Kokichi peeked around Maki and opened his mouth, however Kaede was faster to speak.

“They’re demanding I show them my notes for class!”

Kaede knew it was only half-true, but she still backed up onto the stairwell, grateful for the reprieve and support. “Look, I don’t even really care that much, but I just want to go to class without being cornered outside someone else’s classroom…”

“Let’s put an end to this argument here. Kokichi, Maki, I thought you were both better than this- ggh!”

While Kokichi looked disappointed, Maki was giving Kirumi the same glare she had a few weeks ago. Kaede quickly backed further up the staircase, standing between the two of them.

“Maki. Just stop it and let’s drop it. I’ll tutor you later.”

Maki sighed. “Fine. Let’s get to class.”

The four headed up the stairwell, however, Kirumi gently grabbed Kaede’s wrist as Kokichi and Maki headed inside the classroom, quickly whispering in Kaede’s ear.

“Meet me in the garden after class.”

Kaede nodded in understanding, clenching her free hand to try and stim out the goosebumps on the back of her neck. Part of her wanted to tell Kirumi, “please don’t whisper in my ear like that”.

The other part of her wanted to tell Kirumi “please **keep** whispering in my ear like that”.

Class was a blur for Kaede , even considering it was the last one of the day – she answered everything relatively correctly but wasn’t super focused. Unfortunately, Kirumi’s sudden appearance as she was being heckled by Maki and Kokichi and ending it before things got ugly, as well as the whispering in her ear, had begun occupying the majority of her mind. And Kaede was very gay.

Eventually, the bell rang, and class was dismissed. Kaede didn’t even bother putting her books away – excitable beyond all reason, she ran straight to the garden.

Kaede wasn’t even surprised when Kirumi arrived barely a minute later, having gotten fairly used to her schedule. Kirumi, on the other hand, did seem rather surprised.

“How did you get here befo- you didn’t put your books away, did you.”

Kaede smiled guiltily. “Sorry, I didn’t want to keep you waiting.”

“And so, I have instead kept you waiting. I apologise.”

“There’s no need to be sorry. What do you need, Kirumi?”

Kirumi bit her lip. “… I… I know this is going to sound very, very, very odd, coming from me. I… I need some help with some of my school work. I’ve been quite busy with my duties as a maid, and I would like to set up some time to work on it.”

Kaede frowned a bit as Kirumi sat down next to her. “I mean – I can definitely try to help, but I really only know how to play piano. I’m not that great with everything else.”

“Kaede, you’re one of the few students who maintains A grades almost across the board.”

Kaede laughed nervously. “Even still… you just seem so much smarter than me. Why not go to Shuichi or something?”

Kirumi glanced around the garden for a moment, before lowering her voice. “… The night I want to use to catch up is tonight, and it’s a full moon.”

Realization quickly dawned for Kaede, and she nodded slowly. “Okay, I can help.”

Kirumi looked surprised, though relieved. “Thank you… I’ll quickly arrange for our travel plans, then. There’s a small, secluded building about an hour away from here. The academy often does allow me to study there these nights. I advise packing whatever you need for an overnight stay, however if you need help, do not hesitate to contact me.”

“I should be alright, but thank you for the offer, Kirumi-“ Kaede paused as she felt a vibration in her hand. Looking down, she almost expected to see her phone open with an incriminating text – like a tired old plot point in some b-grade movie. Instead, she found Kirumi’s hand, trembling in hers. “… Are you alright? You’re shaking.”

Kirumi glanced down, before quickly drawing her hand back and staring forward. “I’m sorry that I worried you. I am fine, you don’t need to worry about me.”

Kaede paused, wondering if her mind was playing tricks on her or if she saw Kirumi’s face go slightly red. She didn’t let herself dare hope it was true, however.

“Okay… I’ll return my books and go get my stuff. Should I meet you back here or out the front of the school?”

“Out the front of the school should be fine. I’ll be there in about ten minutes, though I will tell them I’ve opted to take a study partner with me.”

Kaede nodded, standing up. “Won’t they be a little suspicious? You’re usually everyone else’s help, it’s really weird for you to ask for some.”

“I’ll bite the bullet and make an excuse if they ask.” Kirumi stood up as well.

“Okay… I trust you. I’ll be there as soon as I can!”

Though they had technically walked to the dorms together and Kirumi likely had already packed her things, Kaede couldn’t help but feel a little giddy.

Sure, Kirumi had only asked her to help with her studies tonight because she was the only one who knew about her secret, but Kaede had come to cherish pretty much any moment she was able to spend with her. Pyjamas, clothes for the next day, hairbrush, toothbrush, soap, a pillow, and her phone charger quickly went into her bag.

But as Kaede sorted through her textbooks and what to take with her, Kaede slowed down slightly. …Shuichi had been right. She would eventually need to tell Kirumi how she actually felt.

She bit her lip, and alongside her textbooks, Kaede took her class scrapbook project as well. It was at least a secluded location to tell her. Rejection would sting, but at least it would be Kirumi’s decision there, rather than at the school in front of an audience.

Taking her headphones as well, Kaede stood up and headed towards the front gate.

Predictably, Kirumi was already at the gate. Parked outside was a fairly unassuming car.

“Sorry to keep you waiting, Kirumi… I know time isn’t exactly something we have a lot of.”

“There’s still about two or three hours, do not worry. Here, let me take your bags.”

Kaede nodded, though she still moved her bags as close to the back of the car as she could. “Where’s the driver?”

“… Standing in front of you?” Kirumi opened the back of the car, and Kaede noted Kirumi’s overnight bag perfectly fit her aesthetics.

“Standing in front of- oh! Um, I mean, I’m not completely surprised you have a driver’s license, but aren’t you-“

“I was permitted to take the test early as part of my job. It’s a maid’s duty, after all.”

Kaede bit her tongue, keeping a comment about how it was more of a chauffer’s job to drive people places, hopping into the left-side front seat. Kirumi entered the other side.

“It may be a long ride. I apologise, I should’ve asked you to take your notes out first.”

“It’s alright. We’ll have most of the night to study, right? Um, would it be alright if I played my playlist on the radio?”

“Feel free to do so. Pardon the unprofessional comment, but I doubt the playlist of the Ultimate Pianist is going to be worse than listening to Kokichi’s playlists.”

Kaede couldn’t help but chuckle a little as she hit play, and the car pulled out onto the road to the sound of piano.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> you ever get an entire month with no inspiration and then it finally strikes and you wanna write like 1-2 chapters in a few days? that's me.


	9. Chapter 9

Despite the privacy the two girls now had, and the golden opportunity to ask questions amidst the quiet hum of the car and the classical piano, Kaede wasn’t sure what to ask or tell Kirumi. Certainly not that she really did love her – not while hurtling down the road at 80km an hour with tall trees on both sides.

Instead, Kirumi was the first to ask questions. “How did things go with Shuichi?”

“Oh- um, they went well! We- we’ve decided to see what else we can find out about this whole thing,” Kaede replied.

“I’m a little surprised he would agree…”

“Well, he- um. He.”

Kirumi’s tone became inquisitive. “Kaede?”

“… It’s another secret.”

Kirumi sighed. For a moment, the car drove silently, but at the next turn, she finally replied.

“... I can’t make him, or you, tell me his secrets. But if you trust him… I trust him.”

“What do you mean?”

“… I mean, you can tell him about me. If you’re going to investigate this situation, you may as well be completely transparent about why.”

“Is it really okay? I mean, isn’t this dangerous?”

“I don’t make this decision lightly, Kaede. You are not the only one who trusts Shuichi, and he has a reputation for being reliable, if still a little self-conscious after all this time.”

Kaede glanced at her phone for a moment, and Kirumi offered her a slight nod. However, as Kaede took it out of her pocket, she sighed. “Dunno what I was expecting… no signal.”

“… I apologise. I should’ve said something closer to the cell towers.”

“No, I don’t blame you at all. I mean, I didn’t think you were okay with it at all, if I’m honest.” Kaede slid her phone back in her pocket. “So how much further is it?”

“About another 20 minutes.”

“How often do you come here?”

“How often? I usually head here about half of these nights.”

“I see.”

“It’s a quite sturdy house, though nothing magnificent. It houses one to three people comfortably, and it’s one of the cabins the academy uses on staff trips. Or… well. My condition.”

Kaede leaned back slightly in the seat. “Sorry it’s happening to you…”

“It isn’t your fault, Kaede, though it is quite inconvenient.”

“I know… I just hope me being here is at least a little less inconvenient. Um, as in, us studying together with this time.”

“… I hope so too.”

Another ten minutes passed before Kaede asked another question.

“Um – Sorry if this is weird, but why does Maki keep giving you those glances? Did you annoy her?”

“If I have, I don’t know what I’ve done.” Kirumi pulled off the main road onto a dirt road. “I cannot fix what she doesn’t tell me.”

“… I don’t know either, but I get a bad feeling from her. I’m sure she’s not a bad person – we’ve been with her for three years, and I’ve long come to terms with the whole ‘assassin’ thing. But there’s just something… I dunno. Weird, about her, over the past few months.”

“I can’t say I disagree. We’re coming up to the house now, by the way.”

Kaede looked out the window to see a relatively quaint looking cabin, surrounded by large trees on all sides. The sun filtered through the branches in streaks of orange light, dappling the cabin with a gentle orange glow. Kirumi pulled the car to a stop twenty feet from the cabin.

The piano music abruptly stopped with the engine, and Kaede disconnected her phone, jumping out of the car and heading to the back to get the bags.

Kirumi left the car and walked round to the other side. “Kaede, it’s fine. I can carry-“

“Yeah, but don’t you have the key for the door?” Kaede asked.

Kirumi grabbed onto Kaede’s hand, and she felt something cold and metal against it. “I do. If you want to unlock the cabin and explore where you’ll be staying, I won’t stop you. In the meantime, I’ll take our bags inside and make us some tea.”

“Okay… if you’re sure. Thank you, Kirumi!” Kaede smiled brightly, heading up the stairs and unlocking the cabin’s door.

Kirumi had been correct about the cabin being nothing magnificent. It reminded Kaede of her childhood home – outdated, definitely built some time in the late 60s-early 70s – but it wasn’t dilapidated or anything like that. Kaede counted a decent living room, a bathroom (with working plumbing, thankfully), a kitchen and dining room, and heading up the stairs, Kaede found another bathroom, a bedroom, and what was clearly intended as a second bedroom, but had been converted into a study.

A thin layer of dust covered most of the surfaces – about as much as one would expect from two months of unuse. Kaede dragged her finger along the surface of the drawers, before deciding to take a peek inside.

It wasn’t anything special – there were some spare clothes inside, and pulling out one of the blouses, Kaede could tell pretty easily they were Kirumi’s, given their style and fit. She quietly folded them back up and closed the drawer, heading back downstairs.

“Do you have any preference for tea? I had taken you as someone who prefers black tea, however I thought Shuichi took the same, and he told me he didn’t like tea full stop.”

“Oh- um, I’m fine with pretty much any tea. Black’s fine!” Kaede smiled. “Um, so what did you want to go over first? I can at least set that up in the living space.”

Kirumi paused for a moment, apparently deep in thought. “… History is what I think I’m having the most trouble with at the moment, so it would be good to go over that before… that happens.”

“Okay! I think I’m doing pretty well in that, so I can go over any events you need clarification on,”

“Thank you. I’ll be there with tea momentarily.”

No sooner had Kaede finally settled down and spread her textbooks out, Kirumi entered the room with a tray in hand, perfectly balanced and piled with two teacups and some small sandwiches.

“I apologise for the wait.” Kirumi gently placed the tea tray down next to Kaede, sitting on the other side.

“You don’t need to apologise, Kirumi. You took the time needed to prepare it properly, and it let me find all my history notes!” Kaede smiled. “So, what do you need help with?”

Over the next hour, Kaede became somewhat confused by Kirumi’s request for help with her work. Kirumi seemed to be correcting Kaede more than Kaede was correcting Kirumi, even though Kirumi had requested help.

Eventually, Kaede’s curiosity grew too much to bear. “Um… I’m sorry if this is weird to say, but did you need some practice with tutoring? I was under the impression you needed me to help tutor you.”

Kirumi hesitated for a moment – Kaede could have sworn she saw blood rush to her cheeks as well - before nodding. “… That is correct. I apologise that I wasn’t clear with you, Kaede.”

Kaede smiled. “No, it’s fine! I’m sorry that I got the wrong idea. Um, how much time do we have?”

Kirumi glanced at her phone and bit her lip. “… Not much. I apologise for the abruptness of this request, but you need to head upstairs.”

“Huh? Why?”

“I don’t want to harm you. And once it’s over, I promise that I won’t. But these transformations are quite painful and violent, unfortunately. I’ll tell you when it is safe to come back.”

“I mean, I trust you to not-“

“I know that you do. But I don’t trust myself. Please, head upstairs and don’t come down until I explicitly say to.” Even in the dim light, Kaede could see Kirumi’s hands shaking.

“… Okay. Even if you don’t trust yourself, I trust your judgement.” Kaede grabbed the books and the tea tray. “I’ll put this back on the way up.”

“Thank you.”

No sooner had Kaede laid down on the bed had screaming begun downstairs. Even when she’d tried to shove her head between two pillows and block it out, it was still very, very audible. She heard the wood floors creaking, several pieces of furniture being crashed into. It took every fibre of Kaede’s willpower to stay where she was, to act as though the girl she had fallen in love with wasn’t in agony and alone during it, even if by request. Kaede felt wet streak through her hair, and realised she’d begun crying at some point.

After what felt like hours, but judging by the tiny slivers of sunlight still present had only been a few minutes, the screaming finally died down. For a moment, there was a silence that screamed in Kaede’s ears. And a moment later, the same haunting voice that she had heard a month ago finally called out.

“It’s safe to come back.”

Kaede quickly wiped her eyes, picked up their books, and headed back downstairs.

Upon entering the living room, she saw the place in a state of disarray. Nothing outright broken, but furniture had definitely been pushed around, and there were definitely scratches in the wood – indicating to Kaede changing indoors was rare, if not unheard of.

Kirumi now took up about a fifth of the living room, and if she were standing at full height, Kaede was quite certain she would easily tower over her (more than usual) – hell, Kaede was quite sure she wouldn’t be able to stand at full height in here. However, she was… seated? Crouched? Kneeling?... on the floor, staring down at it with her head low.

Kaede quickly walked over to her, placing the books down beside her and gently lifting up Kirumi’s face.

“… I’m sorry. I must be a disturbing sight.”

Kaede shook her head, wrapping her arms tightly around Kirumi’s shoulders.

“Not to me. You’re still you, Kirumi, and I’m not afraid of you.”

The words ‘I love you’ hung heavy on Kaede’s tongue, but yet in a cruel twist of irony, she didn’t yet have the courage to speak them. She wasn’t afraid of what Kirumi would do to her; she was afraid of what she’d **think** of her.

Kaede was stamped out of her reverie by Kirumi returning the hug, burying her head into Kaede’s shoulder, and sobbing quietly.

“Hey, hey. It’s okay. You’re okay.” Kaede stroked Kirumi’s back reassuringly.

The two girls remained in their embrace for a while, Kaede continuing to try and reassure Kirumi (though now a little more aware of how many more tears six eyes produced).

“Are you feeling okay now?” Kaede asked. While the vast majority of her did want to make sure Kirumi was alright for her sake, part of her wanted her to be alright so that she could finally gather the courage to confess.

Kirumi slowly nodded, wiping her face with her hand. “I think I’m okay now. I apologise – I should be serving you, not-“

“Kirumi, we’re both aware of the situation. Believe me, it’s okay to ask for help or even reassurance. Even you need it. And unless you ask me to, I won’t leave your side. Because I lo-…”

Kaede covered her mouth, worried she’d let far too much slip out already. Deep down, she already knew she had.

“You lo…? Kaede, is everything alright?” Kirumi repeated, though Kaede had already fallen backwards.

“I-I… I love… I love you!”

Kirumi was silent for a moment, and Kaede simply stared up at her. She’d expected to confess at some point – hopefully tonight, too – but she hadn’t expected to blurt it out so… unfocused.

“… Kaede, it’s okay. There’s nobody here. You don’t need to pretend you love me.”

Kaede felt her hands shaking, and though she was still sure Kirumi wouldn’t hurt her, the fear of how Kirumi would see her after this still pounded in her head.

“I… I’m not pretending, Kirumi. I love you.”

“… Kaede?”

“I said, I’m not pretending. I love you.”

The world seemed to stand still. Kaede’s breath hitched in her throat, praying the answer wouldn’t break her heart.

“… I need to think on this. I… I think it’s best if we separate for the rest of the night so I can do this with a clear head.”

Kaede bit her lip, knowing heartbreak was likely what awaited in the morning, but nodded. “Okay… though I have no idea how you’re going to get upstairs.”

“I’m not.”

“But then where are you slee-“

“I would barely fit in the room like this, let alone on the bed. I’ll be fine sleeping out here.”

“Are you sure?”

“Even if I wasn’t, I wouldn’t have much of a choice.”

“Okay… stay safe, Kirumi.”

Kaede didn’t even really bother putting on her pyjamas or taking a shower – just laid down on the bed and stared at the ceiling. She wondered whether sleep would even come tonight – she knew come morning, her hopes would be crushed.

Kirumi Tojo? With the Piano Freak? Kaede realised how silly it was to even think it. Plenty of her classmates probably had crushes on Kirumi too – what made her different, aside from a stroke of dumb luck?

Kaede picked up her phone – at 60%, and still without signal. She’d be alone for the night, and the drive back to Hope’s Peak would be awkward and difficult. Essentially, she was stuck with her emotions for the next twelve hours.

Sighing, she decided to do the bare minimum for Kirumi, and got up to go through the dresser. Dusting off the top, she pulled out one of the blouses and a calf-length skirt, folding them and placing them on top.

Once that was done, Kaede laid back down, closing her eyes. She figured she may as well try to sleep, even if it wasn’t going to come easy…

“… ede? It’s 7am. I apologise for waking you, but we need to leave soon.”

Kaede blinked her way slowly back to consciousness to see Kirumi sitting next to her. Aside from a still-remaining slight glimmer in her eye, there was no evidence the previous night even transpired at all.

“Kirumi…? I’ll… I’ll be up in a moment…”

Kaede stretched out, feeling a little gross. “… Sorry, I forgot to shower last night.”

“There’ll be enough time for that, but I’d like to be heading back to Hope’s Peak by 8am.”

“I’ll be sure to do it… oh! Um, I got your clothes for today on the dresser.”

“… I’m very flattered, Kaede. While I already got dressed for the day, I’ll take what you’ve prepared into consideration.”

“Okay… I’ll be in and out of the shower as soon as I can.”

However, once Kaede had left the room, the weight of realization and rejection began crushing her again. Even as she got into the shower, she had to stop herself from just sitting there miserably. She needed to go back, after all – she couldn’t just keep moping around here.

She’d have to face it head on, and move on. Pretend there was a breakup – and at the very least, hope she could still be Kirumi’s friend.

Kaede headed down the stairs at 7:30, dressed in new clothes and at least feeling physically a lot better. Despite her excellent hearing, however, she was completely surprised to find that it was raining outside when she opened the front door.

 _Well, it fits my mood,_ she thought.

“I’ve already packed your bags and put them in the car. Unless you have something else you’re waiting on, I think we’re good to leave,” Kirumi said – first behind her, and ending beside her. Kaede noticed she had put on the clothes she’d picked out, but figured Kirumi was just trying to let her down easier.

“Um… it’s selfish, I know, but- … no, it’s okay. I don’t have anything I’m waiting on.”

“Are you sure? You seem to have something on your mind,”

Kaede sighed. “… It’s okay. I know already. There’s no way you would ever love me back. This was all meant to be a coverup for you, but I developed very real feelings during the coverup. And I’ve just thrown all of that to hell by confessing how I really feel. All I know is how to play piano and charge stubbornly into situations I’m completely unprepared for. I’m stupid for even thinking you would-“

Kaede found her words cut off by something pressing against her face – her lips. It took another moment to process Kirumi’s head touching hers.

And one moment more to realise Kirumi had kissed her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i am doing So Much this month i am just slightly drowning in work but most of it is for Kirumi so that's okay


End file.
